Topic: Arsenal

[the_prodigal_s0n]

Seriously, what kind of line up are they going to play? Something like this:

Almunia
Sagna
Campbell
Vermaelen
Clichy
Denilson
Diaby
Nasri
Walcott
Bendtner
Rosicky

Would that be about right? With that line up they're going to really struggle in Barca.

[MagicHat]

That would be about right, Eboue or Eduardo maybe taking one of the flanking roles the only possible change I could see.

[Canada Loves Anfield]

Considering how many players are out, that doesnt really seem THAT bad

[MagicHat]

Considering how many players are out, that doesnt really seem THAT bad

Oh it isn't a bad lineup. Just as long as your not facing the best team in the world, it is quite a good one even

Problem is, we are facing the best team in the world!

If we can avoid the 20 minutes of not turning up, should be interesting. Going to be extremely difficult but we have a chance

[Canada Loves Anfield]

Yeah, it shows the difference in squad strength. As you have your 4 best players out (I would say 5 considering how good Song has become this year) you still have a minute chance - where if we had our 4 or 5 best players out we wouldnt stand a chance of not conceding 5. Like to be nicer to you, but I hope you get twatted for selfish (Manchester not winning a fucking Euro Cup) reasons

[KUNGFUDANCER]

le arse are gonna get fucked

[Daranoza]

Iniesta was medically discharged today and fully trained. He often slots right back in after injury so there's a good chance of being on the bench, possibly half an hour at the end...

Gem of a player, that boy. I love him.

[USgooner]

Rosicky is now rated 50/50.

[sinnermichael]

Rosicky is now rated 50/50.

sod it. recall jack wilshere and play the carling cup side

[RigBon1892]

I honestly think come the end of the match tomorrow night there will still only be one English side to have beaten Barcelona in the Nou Camp

[Brian Blessed]

The first 11 might still be decent but the bench?

[Finn Solomon]

I honestly think come the end of the match tomorrow night there will still only be one English side to have beaten Barcelona in the Nou Camp

  And may that record never change.

[BazC]

It'll be a battle of how Arsenal can handle Barca and ride their luck, and how clinical Barca can be. If it's Barca of last week with a more clinical edge, they're fucked.  Shite thing is, I might have to miss the match.

[Juan Loco]

Nothing to do with Arsenal but I think Barca will put 4 past them (can see L'Arse scoring a couple themselves). They seem to have made a habit of drawing away from home and then battering teams when they come to Nou Camp in Europe.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

The big problem for arsenal is that the onus is on them. They've got to come out and have a go and get a goal. Not scoring isn't an option, they can't rely on a cagey euro 0-0 or even 1-1 can they.

As soon as they start trying to get the goal I think Barca with dissect them on the break. Could get ugly if Barca score a couple in the first half, which I can see them doing.

With all that being said and done, there's a little voice at the back of my head saying "all they need is a 1-0 victory. It's a tough call but they could do it."

The voice is very small.......and quiet......and, if i'm honest, sounds a bit mental, occasionally it asks me if I want to start fires........

[Brian Blessed]

DoItDoItStartTheFires!Ahahahahhhaahahahaha!

[Scruba]

Arsenal will be chasing shadows all night. Iniesta is in the 19 man squad btw

[Tweekage]

Arsenal are going to get manhandled.  I think Iniesta is out, so is Ibra.

So something like this ?

                 Valdes
Alves  Marquez  Milito  Abidal
               Toure
      Xavi             Busquets
Messi                          Pedro
                  Bojan

Or is busquets out too? cant remember if he got a yellow

[whtwht]

Arsenal are going to get manhandled.  I think Iniesta is out, so is Ibra.

So something like this ?

                 Valdes
Alves  Marquez  Milito  Abidal
               Toure
      Xavi             Busquets
Messi                          Pedro
                  Bojan

Or is busquets out too? cant remember if he got a yellow

Plus if Iniesta also plays , they'll be  too much movement for Arsenal back four to cope with . I envisage a Red card or two tonight

[MagicHat]

The first 11 might still be decent but the bench?

If Campbell and Roiscky pass fit? Eboue instead of Walcott in starting 11 for this example

Fabianski, Tweety, Eduardo, Walcott, Traore, Merida, Eastmond

Enough going forward and Tweety has done ok this season but yeah, apart from not wanting pace vs tired legs, Barca won't be looking across to the benches and fearing us.

[PaulF]

Ibramovich could be out too. So Barca could be relying on Messi.

lol.
Shame when we aren't like that.
When Torres is out we rely on Ngog!

Having said that, Arsenal's biggest hope is that Barcelona come into the game thinking it's a walk in the park. I wonder if Mr Wenger will instill fighting and battling attitude in his team hoping to upset the big boys or will he stick to his principles and try to out beautiful football them. Part of me would respect him for sticking with his values, part of me would feel sad for Arsenal fans that their manager is too inflexible to see what needs to be done.

[MagicHat]

Barca, for example, showed in the first leg you can battle and play lovely football.

[-Sad Fuck-]

I honestly think come the end of the match tomorrow night there will still only be one English side to have beaten Barcelona in the Nou Camp

Pretty hard, seeing as two English sides have done it.

[Cusamano]

Everyone is predicting an arse spanking so they will win this 1-0

[xavidub]

I think this could go either way, will probably be close and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a very George Graham-like performance from Arsenal leading to a 1-0 win 

[sirjames]

I think this could go either way, will probably be close and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a very George Graham-like performance from Arsenal leading to a 1-0 win 

have you ever watched arsenal under wenger? there will be no george graham like football on show at the nou camp tonight.

[PaulF]

Barca, for example, showed in the first leg you can battle and play lovely football.

I have to confess I only heard it on the radio. The commentary was so fawning over Barcelona that I have to take it with a pinch of salt, but it did sound like Barcelona were just passing it around at will. I think Barcelona  will go through, but I don't think it will be all over at half time as many people seem to think.  I suspect Almunia will be the deciding factor, as with all goalies he could be brilliant, but one mistake is all it needs.

have you ever watched arsenal under wenger? there will be no george graham like football on show at the nou camp tonight.

Cambell's back, maybe they can bring back Keown and Adams too 

[RigBon1892]

Pretty hard, seeing as two English sides have done it.

When we beat them in 2007 no other English side had beaten them at the Nou Camp, the only time they had ever lost to English opposition prior to that was also against us.

Since then, they have played Man Utd, which was 0-0, and Chelsea which was also 0-0.

So unless I'm mistaken, the only English club to have beaten Barca at the Nou Camp is still Liverpool.

[sirjames]

Cambell's back, maybe they can bring back Keown and Adams too 

They will need to bring back the team from the 60s70s80s and 90s to stop barca scoring tonight!

[RigBon1892]

They will need to bring back the team from the 60s70s80s and 90s to stop barca scoring tonight!

And put them all on the pitch at the same time? I dont think just 11 are going to be enough to stop them

[lionel_messias]

Honestly? I think Bojan will end the career of Sol Campbell tonight.

And I don't mean he will break his leg either, just his mind.

[sirjames]

And put them all on the pitch at the same time? I dont think just 11 are going to be enough to stop them

I dont think all of them together will stop them, the movement is out of this world.

[markmywords]

have you ever watched arsenal under wenger? there will be no george graham like football on show at the nou camp tonight.

Did you see Arsenal vs Villareal in the CL semi final 2nd leg in 2006?

even George Graham and Don Howe would have been disgusted at the defensive anti football displayed that night by Arsenal

Wenger parked and clamped the team bus in front of his goal

[MagicHat]

No he didn't, quite simply the players froze and lost their nerve completely. It wasn't set up that way and Wenger was furious on the touch line

[sirjames]

Did you see Arsenal vs Villareal in the CL semi final 2nd leg in 2006?

even George Graham and Don Howe would have been disgusted at the defensive anti football displayed that night by Arsenal

Wenger parked and clamped the team bus in front of his goal

yeah but that year they had a defender (sol cambell) that could run, now he cant even walk.
No defense no defensive midfielder no captain = no semi finals.

[Billy The Kid]

Arsenal are going to be ruined tonight. 4 nil at least

[mikeb58]

Tactically, just don't think Arsenal can handle a game like this, as poor as we've been lately of all the top sides we'd be the best ones to pull this around.

Think Barca have got this well sewn up, 2 or 3 -0 to them on the night.

[kingkenny79]

I don't think Arsenal have the player & manager to overcome Barca at Nou Camp..
Not that Barca unbeatable, but Arsenal do not have the players to harass, chase, at make cynical foul on Barca players to put off their rythm. However, Arsenal still a threat on counter attacking, since they got pacy player like Walcott.

Barca never strong at back, be it Puyol, Piquet or whoever play there, so the lost is minimal, but the worry for them is Ibrahimovic. I still can't figure why they exchange Etoo with Ibrahimovic. Old Etoo still much much better then Ibrahimovic.

Overall, Arsenal might be lucky to lose by at least two goals margin.

[PaulF]

If it were up to you, would you start with Walcott or try to bring him on later?

[Daranoza]

If it were up to you, would you start with Walcott or try to bring him on later?

Start him. If Barca get an early goal they'll likely get two or three more. If Arsenal get an early goal it might rattle them. Hope that doesn't happen, obviously.