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Barca are too good for this game...

Looking back on Tuesday and ahead to OT

12 March, 2011 9:00 6 comments
Barca are too good for this game...

Up front today?

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Let’s be frank here. Barcelona were so good they were even able to score at the wrong end and still progress comfortably. It’s not often a team manages to score without registering a single effort on goal, let alone on target, but once again Arsenal managed the seemingly impossible as we did at St James’s when spunking a four goal lead up the wall.

Yes, we once again fell foul of a dodgy ref who was just as star struck by the 100,000 strong Catalan crowd as Cesc appeared to be, but this will never be a valid excuse for the shamefully limp performance from Arsenal on Tuesday night.

As with the Carling Cup final, the big occasion got to the players and the manager once more and now we have to suffer the slings and arrows thrown from the muggy Spuds fans whose team made it to the last eight. There is no disgrace in being beaten by the best team in the world, but the manner of the defeat is hard to take considering we are the ones usually running rings around the opponents. The gap in class was so wide it was cringeworthy at times. Once again only Jack stood out as all around him, including Cesc, froze like startled rabbits in the Barca headlamps. All this said with a few minutes remaining, and the chance to pull off the all time smash ‘n’ grab was within grasp for the self-confessed “best striker in Europe”.

But as the norm, Bendtner’s first touch was that a new-born elephant on an ice lake… hopeless.

Trying to remain positive for today’s outing at Manure, but hope is once and again fading that the cleaning staff at Ashburton will need a new supply of silver polish for the summer months. Wenger will probably throw all his remaining eggs into the Premier League basket and field a weaker side at Old Trafford. Sir Red Nose will almost certainly play his strongest available team, because victory gives the winner a psychological edge for the season’s remainder.

At least the boys should be keen to play at Old Trafford, given as we never got to play on Tuesday…

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6
comments

  1. Joe Fitzpatrick

    Mar 12, 2011, 17:07 #3311

    Just heard the news that we will start with both denilson and diaby in our starting 11 at old Trafford and I'm absolutely gutted. The only saving grace is that Ferguson has not named his first 11. Come on boys! This is your big chance for a crucial win at their place.

  2. Angelo

    Mar 12, 2011, 15:53 #3308

    @ Richard Buxcey Good and fair article. @ herbzoverrum There's no need to behave like an animal. @ Frank Many of us think it's fair to admit that Barca deserved to win and outclassed us. We will hopefully learn from that. Some players are crap and need to go. @ Peter 1.) True 2.) True 3.) The players did their best? Some of them yes (eg:Jack), some of them were poor (eg:Sagna - bad day at the office). And some of them like Diaby and Rosicky are (nearly) always poor (so really it might be their best). Briefly: Wenger played 2 half-fit players (van Persie and Fabregas) and 2 crap at all times. How do you expect the rest to cope? Some addition: In Fabregas' case Wenger said he had played him, because he said he was fit. We are not fool Mr Wenger. Also sending 2 half-fit players to play against Barca proved that you practically admitted we can't replace them properly. By the way. Why Rosicky instead of Arshavin? And I would play Ramsey instead of Diaby. Though it's not exactly his position, but he can be better than Diaby (it's easy). 4.) True. And Bendtner fucked it up again. Bring back Vela he at least technically sound and much faster. He just needs games and support from Wenger. To go through with this sh.t football would have been a travesty and fluke. To blame the whole thing on the ref, who I detest (cheating c.nt), is stupid. By the way stop moaning Mr Wenger and try to shake up the team instead. We need it now much more than ever.

  3. Peter

    Mar 12, 2011, 12:09 #3294

    1 Barcelona totally outplayed us. 2 The ref was however clearly a homer and we could have got a result with 11 men.Most marginal decisions went Barca's way.The guy who grabbed Van Persie around the neck should have gone. 3 The players did their best but were clearly second best on the night.Many teams including us on many occasions have been the better team and dominated play and lost. 4 We were one goal from going through and had that chance late in the game. So Barca could have gone out despite dominating a game.

  4. herbzoverrum

    Mar 12, 2011, 11:05 #3282

    barca arse lickers.........barca were as good as we let them be........

  5. Frank

    Mar 12, 2011, 10:46 #3279

    As last someone giving Barcelona the credit they deserve.At the Emirates they had 60% of the ball and could have scored many times in the Camp Nou we has 24% possesion and no shots.The sending off of RVP is being used as a smokescreen by Wenger for the poor performance of his team.Barcelona are the best team in the world by far and the two games against us proved that

  6. brainy

    Mar 12, 2011, 10:04 #3274

    Barca, are a key injury away from crashing out of the Champions League, and are also a key injury away from Giving ground in La Liga. They have been very fortunate thus far. but i would be surprised if Messi, Iniesta and Xavi all make it through the season without a significant injury, so far they have defied tremendous odds. I think at some point they will have to deal with it, and I'm not so sure they can. we'll see when the time comes.