CL: Arsenal v Barcelona - 23/02/16, 19:45

[CurryFlavoured]

That was such a bad miss.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

We are good enough to win the EPL right now though given how it's going for other teams. Should take the chance while we can, it's only going to be harder next year.

 

[RUS arsenal]

The thing that made me most unhappy today was how bad we looked when we bombed forward in search of a goal. We would miss easy straightforward passes to totally disrupt the flow of an attack. We just didn't look comfortable at all. What happened to the good confident play from the first 30 minutes when we also attacked and did it much more incisively. I just don't get it how players like Sanchez can make such mistakes so often, sigh....

 

[KAB]

Get Lewandowski in at any cost and one solid defender in. Please don't bring in more midfielder, since we already have a bunch

 

[RUS arsenal]

Get Lewandowski in at any cost and one solid defender in. Please don't bring in more midfielder, since we already have a bunch

We need to replace some of them (Flamster, Arteta, Rosicky). At least those 3 and preferably with higher quality.

 

[Batman]

Not blaming it on Giroud at all, but on Wenger. We needed a better tactical plan, especially in the 2nd half.

Agreed.

 

[serenitynow]

Oh, look who's back with his scheduled rant.

 

[celestis]

I disagree slightly. I think the teams are well drilled and tactically fine, however, I think we lack the required quality across the 14 players. Today there was nothing wrong with our set up or tactics. Chamberlain (I thought he played well btw) needed to finish that chance, that's not on Wenger. What is on Wenger however, is that when Ox got hurt... Walcott not good enough, Flamini..... Not good enough to play against Barca's B team, Mertesacker....not good enough. That is the issue like blaze said, there are certain positions we just don't have the required quality. Elite teams get ride of those players and buy new ones.

I thought we were tactically very good . The tactics produced the chances we just didn't take them . They had Zero shots on target in the first half .

 

[celestis]

We need to replace some of them (Flamster, Arteta, Rosicky). At least those 3 and preferably with higher quality.

Yeah considering that was our plainest pairing they did pretty well must be said .

 

[RP07]

Get Lewandowski in at any cost and one solid defender in. Please don't bring in more midfielder, since we already have a bunch

Why would a baller like him come to us? He's already on a higher wage at Bayern. If he goes to Madrid, he could be earning near the 300k mark.

 

[Clrnc]

I differ slightly from some of the opinions here. After last night's match, I actually think we are really really close to greatness with just 2 more additions. No longer are the days where we get totally overawed by top teams and have ****ness like Silvestre in defence. Man for man, for 70 minutes we were holding on decently and in most big matches this season we actually more than matched any top team we faced.

Our main problem is really, lack of goals. For all Giroud's good work, he is still a very limited striker and we just need someone more special to take us forward. Before Mert made that reckless move, we created enough clear cut chances to put them to the sword with our proper game plan. Our problem was not finishing, as it is for majority of this season. Upgrade Giroud and Ox and the team will give anyone a run for their money.

Mertesacker is as good a defender as you can get when you want to soak up pressure. I am very surprised our defence coped with MSN so well, better than any team did this season. Monreal 1v1 bettered Suarez and Messi, Neymar didn't trouble Bellerin at all. Everytime they tried to break through the middle they met strong resistance from our CBs. It was really nice to see how strong our defence is. The main regret is that when we want to push up Mertesacker gets exposed time and time again. That first goal was a carbon copy of Monaco's 2nd goal, and I am pretty sure we have see that more than those 2 occasions. It's so so familiar, that dive because he knew he wouldn't be able to catch them and they are open on the counter. Why did we even push that high up in a match where we are well placed to get a good result? The lack of discipline from some of our players is incredibly frustrating. Wenger is rightly furious with this dejavu.

 

[Gegen Pressing]

I've said pre match don't start Sanchez and Giroud based on form they are in.
Nobody believed me.
Welbeck and Walcott would have given some potency upfront.
the stats man Wenger took a gamble to go against his Computer.

 

[RP07]

Walcott offers nothing from the wing. Sad, but he needs to go in the summer.
Buy an elite striker - Icardi/PEA/Cavani/Benzema, and we are set in the PL next year. Giroud on the bench is a good bet - a nice variation to have.
To do more in the UCL, we need 2 more starters - RW and a holding mid that can pass more than 10 metres.

 

[RP07]

I differ slightly from some of the opinions here. After last night's match, I actually think we are really really close to greatness with just 2 more additions. No longer are the days where we get totally overawed by top teams and have ****ness like Silvestre in defence. Man for man, for 70 minutes we were holding on decently and in most big matches this season we actually more than matched any top team we faced.

Our main problem is really, lack of goals. For all Giroud's good work, he is still a very limited striker and we just need someone more special to take us forward. Before Mert made that reckless move, we created enough clear cut chances to put them to the sword with our proper game plan. Our problem was not finishing, as it is for majority of this season. Upgrade Giroud and Ox and the team will give anyone a run for their money.

Mertesacker is as good a defender as you can get when you want to soak up pressure. I am very surprised our defence coped with MSN so well, better than any team did this season. Monreal 1v1 bettered Suarez and Messi, Neymar didn't trouble Bellerin at all. Everytime they tried to break through the middle they met strong resistance from our CBs. It was really nice to see how strong our defence is. The main regret is that when we want to push up Mertesacker gets exposed time and time again. That first goal was a carbon copy of Monaco's 2nd goal, and I am pretty sure we have see that more than those 2 occasions. It's so so familiar, that dive because he knew he wouldn't be able to catch them and they are open on the counter. Why did we even push that high up in a match where we are well placed to get a good result? The lack of discipline from some of our players is incredibly frustrating. Wenger is rightly furious with this dejavu.

Spot on. We really did not give them a sniff at goal in the whole of the first half. Defensively looked comfortable in the first 45.
It was amazing to see us having only two at the back for their first goal. 0-0 is a great result to take to the Nou Camp. There was no need to commit as if we were chasing the game.
Not sure if the players got carried away, or if it was a deliberate ploy by AW to go looking for a goal. Either way it was **** and cost us the tie.

 

[raag]

Oh, look who's back with his scheduled rant.

Stopped watching when he said we didn't compete with them. Bloody idiot.


Ty is the other one which annoys me. Constantly positive

 

[Aevi]

A silent killer of the game was also tired legs.

After the first half, much of the energy was gone and gaps opened up for MSN to venture; this was seen as their chance count increased rapidly. We pressed them hard in packs in the first pack, and in the second our players slowly got too tired to do so effectively. Ended up losing possession and respective positions. Then we lost.

We'll need rotation vs United for sure, I'm guessing as many as 3 player possibly.

 

[serenitynow]

Stopped watching when he said we didn't compete with them. Bloody idiot.


Ty is the other one which annoys me. Constantly positive

Has to easily be the most clueless out of all the people Robbie interviews. I can't stand his constant pessimism, even after a win he manages to find something to ***** and moan about.
Didn't even know what to think when he suggested that we weren't competing. We lost to arguably the best team in the world and gave them a good game out of it ffs.

 

[raag]

Has to easily be the most clueless out of all the people Robbie interviews. I can't stand his constant pessimism, even after a win he manages to find something to ***** and moan about.
Didn't even know what to think when he suggested that we weren't competing. We lost to arguably the best team in the world and gave them a good game out of it ffs.

It was especially hilarious when he suggested we should rest players for the second leg. He was the one complaining about us putting out a second team against Hull. Could you imagine the reaction if we played our second team at the Nou Camp?

 

[raag]

As for the game,

Positives
-Chamberlain did well apart from that miss
-Welbeck was a monster
-Defended as a team

Negatives
-team needs one week of just shooting practice and nothing else
-Giroud messing up big moments
-theo not contributing at all to build up play
-brainsfarts undoing all our good work as always

If anyone knows where Flamini lives, could they sneak into his house and delete the nudes he has of Wenger? He'll finally stop playing him then

 

[Aevi]

...

If anyone knows where Flamini lives, could they sneak into his house and delete the nudes he has of Wenger? He'll finally stop playing him then

Or just clobber him to be safe.