Arsenal v Barcelona: the Showdown thread

[The RDBD]

It's worth a try, nothing else seems to work. If you can out muscle them in midfield, and then have the players who can keep the ball (not easy) you might just have a chance.

Whenever I watch Spurs against Euro opposition in the summer or in UEFA land,
you can see at a league level just how bad the ball control / passing / composure is
of yer average English PL player.

The average competence level of teams in Germany/Spain is well above the PL.
Which is shocking, as the above skills should be a given for any pro playing in top leagues.

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

Teams are were they are because of how they've been playing previously. Its not that easy to just switch tactics when facing Barca. The teams facing Barca are attempting to play to their own strengths. Unfortunately for them, this usually plays into Barca's strengths too.

A club needs to be very adaptable or have tactics they regularly use that will work. Chelsea beating Barca a few years ago is a great example, Chelsea have parked the bus for years so it suited them, it was their strength.

This also sums up why Wenger can't succeed in Europe, especially in recent years: His side aren't the best at what they do.
The best footballing side might not win the tournament, but they'll probably beat all of the other footballing sides that they face
If you want to knock out a team that play a possession-based game, then you need to either be better than them, get lucky or use different tactics.

Leicester might not have the best technical players or the biggest names, but they're top of the league.
They've picked a system that works well for them and worked hard at it, while others have struggled to deal with it.
It's a big part of what's made the Premier League so unpredictable this season.
So many sides play different styles and tactics that it's hard to tell what's going to work in a given week.

 

[Super G Ted'inho]

This also sums up why Wenger can't succeed in Europe, especially in recent years: His side aren't the best at what they do.
The best footballing side might not win the tournament, but they'll probably beat all of the other footballing sides that they face
If you want to knock out a team that play a possession-based game, then you need to either be better than them, get lucky or use different tactics.

Leicester might not have the best technical players or the biggest names, but they're top of the league.
They've picked a system that works well for them and worked hard at it, while others have struggled to deal with it.
It's a big part of what's made the Premier League so unpredictable this season.
So many sides play different styles and tactics that it's hard to tell what's going to work in a given week.

Leicester have a great defensive unit. They have two work horses in the centre in Drinkwater and Kante (they have a lot of workers all over the field) and they have a very quick player that can finish in Vardy being supplied by a fantastic creative talent that is Mahrez. If a team decides to sit deep, Mahrez can still cause the damage for Vardy to finish too. They have perfect players for that setup.

They are also very good at set pieces too. Mahrez supplying Wes and Huth who are both great in the air.

They aren't the best group of players in the league, but they are arguable the best team. Something Man Utd used to have that enabled them to win titles over the expensively assembled Chelsea and Man City squads.

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

Leicester have a great defensive unit. They have two work horses in the centre in Drinkwater and Kante (they have a lot of workers all over the field) and they have a very quick player that can finish in Vardy being supplied by a fantastic creative talent that is Mahrez. If a team decides to sit deep, Mahrez can still cause the damage for Vardy to finish too. They have perfect players for that setup.

They are also very good at set pieces too. Mahrez supplying Wes and Huth who are both great in the air.

They aren't the best group of players in the league, but they are arguable the best team. Something Man Utd used to have that enabled them to win titles over the expensively assembled Chelsea and Man City squads.

They have what most good teams have, which is a workable system with players that suit it very well.

One of the players that I think they should go after is Christian Benteke.
He's been pretty crap for Liverpool, but I think he'd thrive at Leicester.
The majority of his Villa goals were on the break, crossed into the box or from set-pieces.

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[Mantis]

This also sums up why Wenger can't succeed in Europe, especially in recent years: His side aren't the best at what they do.

We used to have a group of players who were finely attuned to the brand of football Wenger wanted to play. It delivered. Now those players have moved on, Wenger has tried to recreate the same magic using players of lesser quality. It has failed to deliver. It just goes to show how special that group of players really was.

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

We used to have a group of players who were finely attuned to the brand of football Wenger wanted to play. It delivered. Now those players have moved on, Wenger has tried to recreate the same magic using players of lesser quality. It has failed to deliver. It just goes to show how special that group of players really was.

I think that the overall standard of your squad was better, too.
You still have some very good players, but you had quality in every position back then.
Ozil, Sanchez and Cech are all of the required standard, but the drop from Henry to Giroud is pretty stark.

 

[Super G Ted'inho]

They have what most good teams have, which is a workable system with players that suit it very well.

One of the players that I think they should go after is Christian Benteke.
He's been pretty crap for Liverpool, but I think he'd thrive at Leicester.
The majority of his Villa goals were on the break, crossed into the box or from set-pieces.

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He wouldn't fit for the same reason he doesn't fit with us; work ethic. He's not far off being as lazy as Balotelli!

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

He wouldn't fit for the same reason he doesn't fit with us; work ethic. He's not far off being as lazy as Balotelli!

Possibly. I think that he put in more of a shift at Villa, though.
His confidence was higher, he felt more valued and the team complemented his abilities.
He looks broken at Anfield, at the moment.

 

[Super G Ted'inho]

Possibly. I think that he put in more of a shift at Villa, though.
His confidence was higher, he felt more valued and the team complemented his abilities.
He looks broken at Anfield, at the moment.

I think Kane and Vardy would work very well together. Will be good to see them paired up for England but, of course, they won't have Mahrez feeding them, they'll have to make do with Barkley. Although he's great, he's not a patch on Mahrez.

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

I think Kane and Vardy would work very well together. Will be good to see them paired up for England but, of course, they won't have Mahrez feeding them, they'll have to make do with Barkley. Although he's great, he's not a patch on Mahrez.

Could work well together, especially on the break. Both very hardworking, too.
We all know that Rooney will definitely start if he's fit, though.

If Hodgson's got any sense, then he'll try Vardy in the friendlies and try to get him doing what he does for his team.
He'll probably pick him as a winger and then drop him for not doing the business, unfortunately.

 

[Super G Ted'inho]

Could work well together, especially on the break. Both very hardworking, too.
We all know that Rooney will definitely start if he's fit, though.

If Hodgson's got any sense, then he'll try Vardy in the friendlies and try to get him doing what he does for his team.
He'll probably pick him as a winger and then drop him for not doing the business, unfortunately.

If Woy had any sense, Rooney wouldn't be anywhere near the starting XI.

England have had this issues for years; pick the big name over having a team. The so-called golden generation was a perfect example of why England fail. The refusal to drop on of Gerrard or Lampard (Scholes for a while too) and opting to play them DM or LW was crazy. We had the players to win things but Sven and Fabio both bottled the big decisions.

 

[NSIS]

Woy has already said that Wooney will play if fit. Apparently, "he's our captain, and has never let us down".

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

If Woy had any sense, Rooney wouldn't be anywhere near the starting XI.

England have had this issues for years; pick the big name over having a team. The so-called golden generation was a perfect example of why England fail. The refusal to drop on of Gerrard or Lampard (Scholes for a while too) and opting to play them DM or LW was crazy. We had the players to win things but Sven and Fabio both bottled the big decisions.

I don't think that the media (and possibly the sponsors) help with this sort of ****, but ultimately it's the manager's decision.
The constant attempts to shoehorn players into a team just because they're big names is extremely annoying.
The automatic selection of anyone playing for certain clubs, as long as they're eligible, is equally stupid.

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

Woy has already said that Wooney will play if fit. Apparently, "he's our captain, and has never let us down".

He's scored as many goals in the finals of tournaments as that other famous England-born goalscorer:

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No, not Robbie Keane. Don't be stupid.
I'm talking about Irish centre-half, Gary Breen.

 

[PINKIE]

To be fair, the Granny shagger has a pretty decent England record.

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

To be fair, the Granny shagger has a pretty decent England record.

In qualifiers and friendlies, yes.

 

[Super G Ted'inho]

To be fair, the Granny shagger has a pretty decent England record.

So has Peter Crouch

 

[PINKIE]

So has Peter Crouch

At paying for prostitutes ?

 

[Super G Ted'inho]

At paying for prostitutes ?

[HASHTAG]#random[/HASHTAG]

PS...nice of you to show up. You have a good fortnight off?

 

[PINKIE]

[HASHTAG]#random[/HASHTAG]

PS...nice of you to show up. You have a good fortnight off?

Rooney and Crouch lead the line for paying for Hookers. Crouch not so good at it though apparently, as one time a 'kiss and tell' prozzie told the rags that he was going to pay her for sex, so they took a taxi to a cash point machine and he couldn't get any money out !