Match Day Thread FC Barcelona vs. Arsenal (UCL Round of 16) 2015/16 Official Match Thread (agg. 2-0)

Why would we have been doing that ? If you'd watched the game, then you would have seen that up until they scored in the 71st minute, we were in the game and looking likely to score ourselves,.

 

I did watch the game and Barca again mauled you from start to finish. With every European knockout game Arsenal play they are slowly eradicating the proud and brave legacy that this country earned in WW2

 

I can understand how a dozy wum like you would see it that way.

 

Wenger thinks Barca are 95% through !

 

That Milan side were great to watch as was the Brazil team of 1970.You can then add the Holland team of the 70's the Ajax team of the early 70's.If you are of a certain age we are lucky to have so many great teams and so many great players.

 

Love the name of the stadium!

 

People can make out like we were poor last night but that really isn't the case.

I'm confident if we play to the level we were at last night we would still be good enough to beat EVERY other team in the EPL.

 

Yep total football.

 

Except the guys from the King's Road due to the mental blockage that envelopes Arsenal every time.

 

The only problem with our performance was our inability to take our chances.If we'd taken just one of our chances Barcelona wouldn't have caught us on the break for their first goal

 

It is very annoying isn't it?

We know that while Giroud has many talents he is not top, top class like the barca front 3 for example, and while his scoring rate is very good when he is on form, when he has a dry patch (like now) its a world away from suarez/aguero ect. This is when we need out other players to score but I can't even remember the last time theo or ozil scored and sanchez is still missing hatfuls of chances every game.

 

I'll be really suprised if Wenger doesn't get a new CF this summer. He's been itching to get one for quite some time and most positions are covered now.

 

I love Giroud but he does need to convert more, but also we need some players who are prepared to gamble more on some of his knock downs. Walcott blows hot and cold at times and Ramsey, Ozil and Sanchez appear to be shot shy momentarily.

 

I think that Ramsey is frightened to score in case someone else famous dies

 

Even despite misfiring I think we could have held out for 0-0. But we caught sniff of a goal and our midfield overcommitted and with guys like Neymar and Messi they only need 1 break to punish you. Once they scored we lost defensive discipline and the 2nd goal came.
Shame about the Ox injury as I felt he had a big hand in helping stymie Neymar and Alba during the first half. Theo didn't have the same impact (actually wa ssurprised Welbeck didn't come on instead).
On to United. Need a big performance but I'm confident of a win.

 

He needs to yeah but he is incapable of doing so. Giroud at his very best is still just short of the quality we need to compete in Europe.

Giroud puts the work in but against the TOP sides he has a woeful record. The reason for that is he just lacks that sharpness that the top forwards have. Against the likes of Barca you have very little time to react/pull the trigger.

It really bugs me that Wenger hasn't brought in a top striker because apart from that our squad is pretty decent. Perhaps he feels Wellbeck can mature into a top striker?

Personally though I think a 'Cavani, Aubamayang, Higuian, Benzema.. calibre forward' would be worth every penny. If we fail to win the league this year we may find our squad going backwards again. Will Ozil, Sanchez, Bellerin etc.. stay if we just continue down this nearly men route? (like we have for the past 10-12 years)

 

I cant argue against any of this. I am hoping that now Welbeck is back and providing competition, Giroud ups his game and proves us wrong. At least for the rest of the season.

 

You'll be lucky to keep hold of Sanchez and Ozil after today. That makes 5 easy

It's what happens with all your best players, so don't worry about the maths, it's called Gooneromics

 

Oh so you actually rate Ozil now, funny.