CL Round of 16 - Arsenal vs. Barcelona match thread

Cesc Soler wrote:RvP back in the squad for tomorrow.

Messiah wrote:Pep

"Wilshere is a top player He is an excellent player, not just Arsenal, but also for the national team.

“he is lucky because we have many players in the second team like him but he plays because there is no pressure at his club to win titles."

Such a seemingly arrogant comment inevitably whipped up a bit of a storm down by the Mediterranean. But Guardiola is not the haughty type. He even rose from his hospital bed, a sanitised sanctuary where he has been recovering from a back problem, to meet English inquisitors at the Nou Camp. He even conversed in good English.

This is not an arrogant man. Although Arsene Wenger and Cesc Fabregas bristled slightly on being relayed details of Guardiola’s observation, Wilshere himself should not take offence. Hold the Tweet button, Jack.

The fact that one of the finest coaches in the world was discussing an Arsenal teenager was a compliment in itself, particularly as Guardiola embellished his theorising with some words of praise too.

Guardiola is an intelligent individual, not given to dismissive statements so his claims deserve scrutinising properly. “Wilshere is a top player, and has been a big, big surprise,” began the Barcelona coach. “I didn’t know him at the start of the season.”

Wilshere really caught Barcelona’s eye with his mature, energetic display in Arsenal’s 2-1 first-leg win. “He had a really good performance,” said Guardiola. “He can be a great player for Arsenal and England, but we have many types of player like him in the second team. He’s lucky as Arsenal have time. There is not the pressure to win titles as quickly as possible. We have second-team players like him.”
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Barcelona’s second string would probably give most Premier League sides a good game anyway. The best holding midfielder in England last season was Javier Mascherano, who moved to Barcelona and features intermittently, although starting on Tuesday evening because Sergio Busquets is required in defence with Carles Puyol injured and Gerard Pique suspended. Wilshere is not accomplished enough to be deemed worthy of a place in Barcelona’s midfield. Yet.

As such a realm is the domain of World Cup-winners like Xavi and Andres Iniesta, Wilshere can hardly complain. Guardiola was effectively saying that Barcelona do not need to hurry emerging players, allowing them to complete their education in the B team before graduating to join the A-listers in battling Real Madrid for La Liga.

If Arsenal have cause to take issue with one strand of Guardiola’s thesis it is that Wenger’s men are not driven by the same urgency to win their league. Nonsense. Arsenal are obsessed with claiming the Premier League.

There is one final proof that Guardiola was not being patronising towards Wilshere. Barcelona’s coach is too savvy deliberately to gift Arsenal some fuel for their fire. Unwittingly, he has done.

“All I can say is that I train with Jack every day and he’s a special talent,” countered Fabregas. “If there are so many players like him in the world then football is looking very, very good in the future.”

Wenger agreed. “I play Jack because he’s good enough to play and deserves his place,” said the Arsenal manager. “I’m long enough in the job to know when a player deserves to play. It’s nothing to do with what I have to deliver or not. In England, you know very well that I’m under pressure.” Wenger knows it has been mentioned once or twice that Arsenal have not lifted a trophy since 2005.

Even if Arsenal bow out, expect another dynamic display from Wilshere. He loves the big occasion, and will enjoy renewing rivalry with Xavi, Iniesta and Lionel Messi, a past-time that until a month ago he had been doing only on his computer. Game on.

Whether he is perceived as A team or reserves, Arsenal’s No 19 is admired by Guardiola’s players. “Wilshere is great,” said Busquets. “He is a young player and really looks like he can be a great player.

"He’s in the first team at Arsenal and getting there. He gives a great contribution and quality, combines with Fabregas, Nasri and Diaby and is a good passer and he has aggression.”

The ultra-competitive Wilshere wants what Guardiola possesses: a European Cup medal won at Wembley. So does Fabregas. Inevitably, the former Barcelona youth-team starlet was asked about his emotions on returning to Catalonia, particularly as a Barcelona official claimed that the club was “in his DNA”.

Diplomacy defined Fabregas’ response. “Only I know what I feel,” replied Arsenal’s captain. “Sometimes I don’t understand people’s reactions. I’m not here to beat anyone specifically. I’m just here to win for Arsenal. I don’t put anything extra in my head because it’s Barcelona in Camp Nou. It’s a special game for everyone as it’s a great stadium and a good team.”

Busquets laid out the welcome mat. “Cesc makes a great contribution and it the most important player for Arsenal,” said Busquets. “He gives reassurance to his team-mates in possession and is a great passer. With him in the team Arsenal are much better.”

Greetings completed, Busquets did suggest that Fabregas, Wilshere and company could have a “mental weakness”, although Guardiola demurred.

“I hear about the fragility of the mind of the Arsenal players but I don’t agree,” said Barcelona’s coach. “They lack something, but are always near the top. They don’t disappear.

“They’re competing with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, they’re in the Champions League, the FA Cup and reached the Carling Cup final. In order to get to the final you need a good mentality and they were better than Birmingham in the final.”

Although Guardiola might just be reminded of Wilshere’s class, the odds are stacked against Arsenal here.

Hlebagone wrote:There's another person who looks like Puyol? I presumed he was some type of genetic abhorration.

fcb wrote:I think the "we have players like him in the 2nd team" was to ward off any "Pep wants to sign Wilshere" stories being created after he praised the player. The "no pressure to win" is clearly a bit of a cheeky dig. Very un-Pep-like.

But this article explains the general tone/context of Pep's comments, from a journalist who was actually there and got the full details

Messiah wrote:abidal has been our best CB this season it most be noted

Jaime wrote:Maybe Pep was just trying to encourage Arsene to have a look at one or two of those players in the B team so they can find the 'new Cesc' to steal. Always so kind that Pep.

fcb wrote:Is Diaby really going to start tonight?