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

[Trilly]

Sitting deep welcomes an inevitable goal while limiting our chances to score. If we even want to think about getting through we need a 1 goal lead at the minimum.

Going to have to find a way to get at their vulnerable defence while somehow cutting off the midfield supply to MSN. This is where Wenger earns his money, I have no idea how we're gonna pull this off with our current personnel.

 

[ScotVieira]

Whatever side we select, we cannot afford to have Walcott on the pitch for this game. We can't carry a passenger along in a game where we are more likely to be dominated than not.

I'd say we should not play Ox for the same reason. No passengers required.

 

[Muniesa]

Barca fan here from our den at http://www.barcaforum.com/

I come in peace but can't guarantee the same for Barca players coming to Emirates on Tuesday

Would be great if we could do some fans exchange and discuss the match

 

[General]

Let's not pretend as if we don't know how the pattern of this game will pan out, irrespective of the outcome. Barca will dominate possession by default. Even though they are a less possession based team these days, their ball retention is still better than ours, especially without Santi. We will have numbers behind the ball which ones we get would look to break forward very quickly. They'll hunt in packs to crowd is out and we will need all the pace we can get to break forward before they get numbers back into position. Biggest threat without doubt is Messi and his ability to initiate attacks from anywhere by ghosting past players. You are never secure when he has the ball regardless of where he is and that's what's E have to keep an eye on. The big positive for me is that we have genuine options on the bench to maintain the intensity that you get in these games.

 

[celestis]

Sitting deep welcomes an inevitable goal while limiting our chances to score. If we even want to think about getting through we need a 1 goal lead at the minimum.

Going to have to find a way to get at their vulnerable defence while somehow cutting off the midfield supply to MSN. This is where Wenger earns his money, I have no idea how we're gonna pull this off with our current personnel.

At the same time Trilly we will get forced deep whether we like it or not . Not sure we have the quality to play out of the press thus Giroud starts . Hoof ball time .

 

[Muniesa]

Barca won't press hard up on the pitch. We've been playing non-stop since December.

 

[celestis]

Barca won't press hard up on the pitch. We've been playing non-stop since December.

How do you think you guys will approach the match tactically ?

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

It would be foolish not to press us as it's common knowledge that we struggle badly with that.

 

[Muniesa]

It would be foolish not to press us as it's common knowledge that we struggle badly with that.

As we do. Malaga, Celta, Sevilla, Bilbao proved that.

It's simple really. Under Pep we had Pedro who pressed like an animal and younger Messi. Nowadays even with fresh MSN we can't replicate that. Surez does press. Messi barely and Neymar is not here nor there.

I think your best chance is to use the freshness and attack high on the pitch.

 

[celestis]

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...ntensity-after-leaving-arsenal-a3185351.html?

"The first thing I noticed here was the intensity of the pressing," Vermaelen told the Telegraph.

"The pressure is on straight away when we lose the ball. We do a lot of positioning games, focusing on getting the ball back. The pressure the players put on you is incredible, you have no time on the ball."

 

[Muniesa]

Yeah mate. But they do that in rondos (small circle of players with guy in between chasing ball).

 

[celestis]

As we do. Malaga, Celta, Sevilla, Bilbao proved that.

It's simple really. Under Pep we had Pedro who pressed like an animal and younger Messi. Nowadays even with fresh MSN we can't replicate that. Surez does press. Messi barely and Neymar is not here nor there.

I think your best chance is to use the freshness and attack high on the pitch.

Interesting to hear that , would never have thought that . It's not the perception we have of Barca or at least me anyways .

 

[MarioGooner]

I think we can only damage Barcelona in formation 4-1-4-1, with a lot of running in midle and speed in counter atack

-------------Čech-----
Bellerin Per Kos Nacho
----------Coquelin----------
Welbz-Aaron-Özil-Alexis
-----------Giroud--------

 

[Penn_]

The extra games mean very little when they've been strolling through most of them.

 

[kopzilla]

Suarez is the guy who according to me is unplayable..his pace, trickery and willingness to fool the officials is just too much to handle for the opposition.Messi always seems to have quiet days in England....

 

[Rex Stone]

I don't think their midfield 3 has the legs to pressure us like they have done in previous ties, our game plan should be trying to get Alba and Alves ahead of the ball, winning it back quickly and springing the trap on them.

Problem with a high press in my eyes is that their defenders aren't going to panic and will be able to play their way out and find Iniesta and Rakitic. If they beat their man we're in serious trouble.

As for MSN the main threat is that they have 3 attackers matching up against your back 4, so there's a world class threat in the gap between each of your defenders which means you can't double anyone up. Them dovetailing and making winding runs will rip us to shreds.

However I don't think any of the three will come short and show for the ball though which is an advantage, I'd suggest funnelling Barca into the middle of the park and making them overcommit, then burning them on the counter. Ideally that would force Pique to try and go direct to MSN.

 

[Rimaal]

As we do. Malaga, Celta, Sevilla, Bilbao proved that.

It's simple really. Under Pep we had Pedro who pressed like an animal and younger Messi. Nowadays even with fresh MSN we can't replicate that. Surez does press. Messi barely and Neymar is not here nor there.

I think your best chance is to use the freshness and attack high on the pitch.

Yes. We can't sit back and defend. We have to play. We have to press, however not too high up the pitch, we press the midfield and stifle the balls, then break. Sevilla gave a great example of that play.

 

[easy Z]

I'd start with:

-------------Cech
Bellerin--Gab--Kos--Nacho
-----Coquelin--Rambo
Welbz/Ox---Özil-----Alexis
-------------Theo

Stay compact at the back, physical in midfield, with high intensity and quick transitions going forward, and take our opportunities and I say we've got a chance of getting something.

Not too optimistic though.

 

[USArsenalFan716]

I'm still in favor of the Walcott up top plan, Sanchez, and maybe Welbeck on the the other side..... Barca (let alone anyone) probably rarely comes across the pace of those 3. You get runners that Özil can hit on the counter rather than a more static target like Giroud. We still have an aerial threat in Welbeck form set pieces.

The back 4 will be licking their chops with an easy to mark player like Giroud, or someone who doesn't make a lot of runs into the box and instead tries to beat people off the dribble more like an Ox...They get to basically rest most of the game especially as they will probably control possession. And we stand a way better shot at getting something with a tired defense than one that isn't at the end of the game.

It's not going to happen though.

 

[Balance is key]

It would be foolish not to press us as it's common knowledge that we struggle badly with that.

So - We struggle against teams who sit back and hits us on the counter and we struggle vs teams who press us - Whats left? is it that we do well vs teams who tries to play football like we do, but are worse at it?