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Arsenal - Barcelona. Player ratings thread.

Nela

Established Member
Anzac said:
Looking at the angle of the run made by Ibra = WTF was Denilson doing? I presume that's him between Song & Diaby?
Sitting in front of the back four like he's supposed to? Vermaelen has only just stepped up and signals to Song to cover Ibra. But Song doesn't react.

Out of the CMs, Diaby is the one I'm wondering what he's doing. Why isn't he pressing Xavi?
 

Anzac

Established Member
Nela said:
Anzac said:
Looking at the angle of the run made by Ibra = WTF was Denilson doing? I presume that's him between Song & Diaby?
Sitting in front of the back four like he's supposed to? Vermaelen has only just stepped up and signals to Song to cover Ibra. But Song doesn't react.

Out of the CMs, Diaby is the one I'm wondering what he's doing. Why isn't he pressing Xavi?

What like a mobile chicane?
He's still supposed to track runners & not just park the bus - he did the same v Brum & worked as a sweeper in front of the back4 as opposed to being a genuine defensive player. In both games he showed poor awareness of players making runs around him & ball watches in order to pick up the crubs.
 

Eirico

Well-Known Member
JGooner said:
Vermaelen was doing the right thing, and it's worrying that Wenger thinks he was too blame, as opposed to (a) Song not covering Zlatan's run and (b) our entire f****g midfield was letting the best passer of a ball in the world have about 3 hours to chill out, read a paper, smoke a joint and then pick out a pass to Zlatan.

It's called "pressing". We don't do it. It kills us.

That was the biggest difference between the two sides. Nobody in the world are better at pressing than Barcelona. In the first half, we simply didn't had any answers to their pressing. And when we lost the ball, we couldn't win it back because of bad pressing (and of course, their brilliance on the ball). Not sure if their plyers run more than ours or they are better tacticly or smarter. Or maybe it's a coaching issue. I don't know. But we started the season very well with the collective pressing, but it faded away pretty soon.
 

Nela

Established Member
Of course Denilson is supposed to track runs. But he's not in the backline marking their only CF. Song and Vermalen are and it's their positioning or lack of ability to work as a defensive unit that is at fault IMO.
 

Anzac

Established Member
Nela said:
Of course Denilson is supposed to track runs. But he's not in the backline marking their only CF. Song and Vermalen are and it's their positioning or lack of ability to work as a defensive unit that is at fault IMO.

Agreed so far as the primary responsibility goes, and I point my finger at Song as I did for Brum's goal. However I also find it indicative of how we are set up as a team when other players are ball watching/chasing & are unaware of player movement off the ball around them.

Problem here was that Ibra was not amongst the CBs to start with & made his diagonal run from the DM line into the gap between the CBs & behind TV as he was closing down Messi. Not only did none of our players pick it up but they didn't learn & the lesson was repeated for the 2nd goal - same again as v Brum.
 

Nela

Established Member
It's pretty damn frustrating that after withstanding the most intense attacking display I've seen and getting away with 0-0, we're outdone by two simple long balls over the top. Typical. :sad:
 

Anzac

Established Member
Nela said:
It's pretty damn frustrating that after withstanding the most intense attacking display I've seen and getting away with 0-0, we're outdone by two simple long balls over the top. Typical. :sad:

Yup - much the same as against Brum = free kick down the middle.
Yet again the direct ball down the middle continues to haunt, after AW identifying it as an issue 2-3 seasons ago. :roll:
 

Tourbillion

Angry & Miserable
Neither Song nor Vermaelen ****ed up as individuals. Had Vermaelen stayed deeper with Song Ibrahimovic would not have been free to score. Had Song pushed up with Vermaelen there's a good chance offside would have been played. The only **** up was the lack of communication/understanding (not entirely surprising seeing as Song isn't a centre back).
 

Freagle

Well-Known Member
@ quicket than walcott: It's debatable to be honest. Vermaelen was always closing down on players and he anticipated Messi lurking free and then made a decision. Unlike Song, he was nowhere near anyone let alone Ibra. You simply cannot allow someone that much space. It looks to me like it's one mistake piled up on another. As you said, the communication between the whole team let alone the defense was appalling and that has to change.
 

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