Arse Barca

[9secondlegend]

Fuck me! How much do I want to see champions league football!!

You want to see us ripped to shreds by the likes of barca and arsenal because that is what would happen!

[bigblue]

It was great football by both teams, but there should be a bit less envy on here. There is no 'true' way to play football, the point of the game is to put the ball in the net anyway you can. Also consider that our way of playing earned us a draw, unlike barca.

Id pay to watch either team tonight - they play as "proper" as you can get to play imo.

Mancini has the right personnel to play like that - I think its more down to his tactics that stops us from doing so.

Honestly, I'd love to see Stoke play Barca on a bad field just of of curiosity.

But I think too many people are underestimating how important it is for a team to get to know one another. Just look at both Barca and Arsenal, their players have been playing in the same system for years. Its one thing to introduce a single new player to an existing team, its a completely different challenge to get a group of people who don't know each other to play as a team. We need some patience and give City actual time to come together. Hell, we've waited for decades to be in this position, now let things work out even if it takes another year or so.

[ENIAM NAM]

Fuck me! How much do I want to see champions league football!!

You want to see us ripped to shreds by the likes of barca and arsenal because that is what would happen!

I agree that's what would happen the way we are playing at the minute. I think you know what i meant - I want to see us compete against the best clubs in the world and watch us hold our own playing fast attacking football.

[9secondlegend]

Fuck me! How much do I want to see champions league football!!

You want to see us ripped to shreds by the likes of barca and arsenal because that is what would happen!

I agree that's what would happen the way we are playing at the minute. I think you know what i meant - I want to see us compete against the best clubs in the world and watch us hold our own playing fast attacking football.

Ahh ok. I thought you were getting if we qualify this season that's what we could look forward to. Unfortunately like people have said here we are miles away from that level of football.

[zuricity]

The only reasons we lost to the arse at home was a once in a year save from their goalie ( no longer gets picked) and clattenberg sending off Boyata. Short and convenient memories. For the rest of the game we matched them until tiredness kicked in with 10 against 12.

Messi couldn't be arced in the second half tonight.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

The only reasons we lost to the arse at home was a once in a year save from their goalie ( no longer gets picked) and clattenberg sending off Boyata. Short and convenient memories. For the rest of the game we matched them until tiredness kicked in with 10 against 12.

Messi couldn't be arced in the second half tonight.

And there was me thinking it had to do with Mancini picking the wrong center back pairing.

[Biamp]

Great game of football, Barca will take the second leg and qualify.

[guv111]

I have to admit to being amazed by Barca's first half. Fantastic football. For Arsenal to come back and win was testament to resolve and self belief. When we get there, I will be very happy.

[Hazy2]

Got to be one of the most interesting threads ever, almost like we have seen the light.

Barcelona tica-taca style of play is the way forward for me, I am sure YAYA, Silva would thrive look at the first minute at ragsville quick passes and would have been talked about for years if Silva had finished it. Roberto has to speed up our game and for me stop the Italian in which is sadly negative. You have to start somewhere as Barca did 30 yrs ago... Kids play this way from Fabregas to Pique and Arsenal play football, what I see at MCFC this season is cautious no risks. Not for me sorry.

[Dronny]

Fuck me! How much do I want to see champions league football!!

You want to see us ripped to shreds by the likes of barca and arsenal because that is what would happen!

I agree that's what would happen the way we are playing at the minute. I think you know what i meant - I want to see us compete against the best clubs in the world and watch us hold our own playing fast attacking football.

Ahh ok. I thought you were getting if we qualify this season that's what we could look forward to. Unfortunately like people have said here we are miles away from that level of football.

While not totally disagreeing with what you've said there 9sl remember how Chelski always (nearly?) came out best against Barca by employing a high pressing tempo game which is certainly within the realms of how we can play. One criticism of the Arse is they can be muscled out of a game and again that's what we've got in our locker.

Finally we have the basis of the tippy tappy footie that these teams use extremely well, we just need to find 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears occasionally.

Edit: I'm not knocking the game at all last night as it was footie at it's best in my eyes and how GOOD is
Wilshere for a lad *whistles*

[Ted Hughes]

Barca suffered from the same thing I've been pointing out about YayaToure; they do all their defensive running in short bursts. Yaya looked like superman defensively at Barca, when he got a five minuite rest between chasing the ball. For us he only gets 20-30 seconds off & has to run again; he can't. Neither can Barca.

All this bullshit about their wonderful workrate/ ability to close sides down; it's their passing that's womderful, not their closing down. Without the possession, they wouldn't have the legs to close down for long spells. It's not that difficult to run like fuck for about for 5 to 10 seconds every five minutes after passing the ball at your own pace against a tiring oppo. Barca should have scored five but they didn't & they finished with a defence that would have struggled against most of the Prem, not just Arsenal; they were fucked & they were wide open.

It shows the importance of keeping the ball as a defensive as well as an attacking tactic. Bob knows that, but the players haven't fully got it yet. We were playing exactly like Barca at Stoke until Toure leathered the ball to their keeper & fucked it up.

[Hazy2]

Barca suffered from the same thing I've been pointing out about YayaToure; they do all their defensive running in short bursts. Yaya looked like superman defensively at Barca, when he got a five minuite rest between chasing the ball. For us he only gets 20-30 seconds off & has to run again; he can't. Neither can Barca.

All this bullshit about their wonderful workrate/ ability to close sides down; it's their passing that's womderful, not their closing down. Without the possession, they wouldn't have the legs to close down for long spells. It's not that difficult to run like fuck for about for 5 to 10 seconds every five minutes after passing the ball at your own pace against a tiring oppo. Barca should have scored five but they didn't & they finished with a defence that would have struggled against most of the Prem, not just Arsenal; they were fucked & they were wide open.

It shows the importance of keeping the ball as a defensive as well as an attacking tactic. Bob knows that, but the players haven't fully got it yet. We were playing exactly like Barca at Stoke until Toure leathered the ball to their keeper & fucked it up.

Roberto,will never allow the freedom Barca have, Xavi Iniesta Messi were not at full throttle last night, At times in the 1st half Arsenal looked lost despite winning the game they were a level below a gear short and they are the best footballing tean we have. I still expect Barca 4 Arsenal 1 in the 2ns leg. Compared to our Euro night we play anti-football at times and as blue I sit in East Level 2 bored at times. To much of hold what we have, IMO if we do that until the end of the season Tears will be flowing and Roberto will be gone.

[9secondlegend]

Fuck me! How much do I want to see champions league football!!

You want to see us ripped to shreds by the likes of barca and arsenal because that is what would happen!

I agree that's what would happen the way we are playing at the minute. I think you know what i meant - I want to see us compete against the best clubs in the world and watch us hold our own playing fast attacking football.

Ahh ok. I thought you were getting if we qualify this season that's what we could look forward to. Unfortunately like people have said here we are miles away from that level of football.

While not totally disagreeing with what you've said there 9sl remember how Chelski always (nearly?) came out best against Barca by employing a high pressing tempo game which is certainly within the realms of how we can play. One criticism of the Arse is they can be muscled out of a game and again that's what we've got in our locker.

Finally we have the basis of the tippy tappy footie that these teams use extremely well, we just need to find 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears occasionally.

Edit: I'm not knocking the game at all last night as it was footie at it's best in my eyes and how GOOD is
Wilshere for a lad *whistles*

Yeah dronny. I know we can play the "tippy tappy" stuff but 9 times out of 10 we give the ball away. Them goals last night came from nothing and I still think we are at least 2 years away from even thinking we can pass and play like that. Maybe longer if we stick with mancinis odd tactics. I think we need a couple more years at Europa level as I can see us being highly embarresessd if we qualify for champions league.I'm getting ahead of myself but Can any one see us going to besiktas and getting a result?

[Ted Hughes]

Barca suffered from the same thing I've been pointing out about YayaToure; they do all their defensive running in short bursts. Yaya looked like superman defensively at Barca, when he got a five minuite rest between chasing the ball. For us he only gets 20-30 seconds off & has to run again; he can't. Neither can Barca.

All this bullshit about their wonderful workrate/ ability to close sides down; it's their passing that's womderful, not their closing down. Without the possession, they wouldn't have the legs to close down for long spells. It's not that difficult to run like fuck for about for 5 to 10 seconds every five minutes after passing the ball at your own pace against a tiring oppo. Barca should have scored five but they didn't & they finished with a defence that would have struggled against most of the Prem, not just Arsenal; they were fucked & they were wide open.

It shows the importance of keeping the ball as a defensive as well as an attacking tactic. Bob knows that, but the players haven't fully got it yet. We were playing exactly like Barca at Stoke until Toure leathered the ball to their keeper & fucked it up.

Roberto,will never allow the freedom Barca have, Xavi Iniesta Messi were not at full throttle last night, At times in the 1st half Arsenal looked lost despite winning the game they were a level below a gear short and they are the best footballing tean we have. I still expect Barca 4 Arsenal 1 in the 2ns leg. Compared to our Euro night we play anti-football at times and as blue I sit in East Level 2 bored at times. To much of hold what we have, IMO if we do that until the end of the season Tears will be flowing and Roberto will be gone.

No team plays exactly like Barca & it's unfair to expect Mancini to do so after a year in charge. Barca used to try & do what they're doing now & then get fucking hammered. Our fans would never have the patience to allow someone to build something like that. They would start spitting their dummys out after a few months if it didn't work immediately.

Hughes tried to build an attitude into the team where the priority was that we always tried to play on the front foot; people whinged about it & called him clueless because it didn't always work. They wanted more accent on defence. Mancini is trying to do it the other way & people are starting to get on his case. What the fuck did they expect? Completely change the whole philosophy of the team overnight? Flick a switch & we're Barca going forward but Juve from the 70's at the back?

There are a lot of similarities in the passing game & interchangeable forward positions that Mancini is TRYING to put together & the way Barca play. We'll probably sack him before he even gets half way to building the 1st stage of it.

[Hazy2]

Barca suffered from the same thing I've been pointing out about YayaToure; they do all their defensive running in short bursts. Yaya looked like superman defensively at Barca, when he got a five minuite rest between chasing the ball. For us he only gets 20-30 seconds off & has to run again; he can't. Neither can Barca.

All this bullshit about their wonderful workrate/ ability to close sides down; it's their passing that's womderful, not their closing down. Without the possession, they wouldn't have the legs to close down for long spells. It's not that difficult to run like fuck for about for 5 to 10 seconds every five minutes after passing the ball at your own pace against a tiring oppo. Barca should have scored five but they didn't & they finished with a defence that would have struggled against most of the Prem, not just Arsenal; they were fucked & they were wide open.

It shows the importance of keeping the ball as a defensive as well as an attacking tactic. Bob knows that, but the players haven't fully got it yet. We were playing exactly like Barca at Stoke until Toure leathered the ball to their keeper & fucked it up.

Roberto,will never allow the freedom Barca have, Xavi Iniesta Messi were not at full throttle last night, At times in the 1st half Arsenal looked lost despite winning the game they were a level below a gear short and they are the best footballing tean we have. I still expect Barca 4 Arsenal 1 in the 2ns leg. Compared to our Euro night we play anti-football at times and as blue I sit in East Level 2 bored at times. To much of hold what we have, IMO if we do that until the end of the season Tears will be flowing and Roberto will be gone.

No team plays exactly like Barca & it's unfair to expect Mancini to do so after a year in charge. Barca used to try & do what they're doing now & then get fucking hammered. Our fans would never have the patience to allow someone to build something like that. They would start spitting their dummys out after a few months if it didn't work immediately.

Hughes tried to build an attitude into the team where the priority was that we always tried to play on the front foot; people whinged about it & called him clueless because it didn't always work. They wanted more accent on defence. Mancini is trying to do it the other way & people are starting to get on his case. What the fuck did they expect? Completely change the whole philosophy of the team overnight? Flick a switch & we're Barca going forward but Juve from the 70's at the back?

There are a lot of similarities in the passing game & interchangeable forward positions that Mancini is TRYING to put together & the way Barca play. We'll probably sack him before he even gets half way to building the 1st stage of it.

I never thought I would say this about Roberto, but as a repected coach with a pedigree higher than Hughes, he is not that much more savvy, It appears to me he is samey, he has dissapointed me in not Keeping Bellamy and man managing the welsh loon, he is a massive miss and a mistake which we will regret.

[Rag_hater]

There is not a better team in world football, god how i wish we could play like this. Brillant!!

The mighty Hercules( down the road from me) were earlier this year and Arse were last night so I think the hype around this team is a little OTT I think, they may be the best.Its debateable though methinks

[bluej]

TBH, sometimes I would fancy us more against the likes of Barcelona than trying to break down teams like Brum, Stoke etc.

[Renato_CTID]

Not "a" game, but more simply "THE GAME"! Don't know who between Barca and Arsenal played the best football yesterday at Emirates. But both should be our way of footbal for the future!

[blues2win]

The mistake the club made was not getting rid of Hughes straightaway. He was never good enough to take us to the highest european levels. If Mancini or another top coach had taken over immediately we'd be a lot further forward now. As it is it's taken time for Mancini to get rid of the flotsam Hughes acquired, buy in fresh talent and get the new team to play his way.

Oh and we're nowhere near as good as Barca yet but then who is? Real got thrashed by them and Arsenal were fortunate last night. A perfectly good goal disallowed which would probably have been game over.

[Slim]

The mistake the club made was not getting rid of Hughes straightaway. He was never good enough to take us to the highest european levels. If Mancini or another top coach had taken over immediately we'd be a lot further forward now. As it is it's taken time for Mancini to get rid of the flotsam Hughes acquired, buy in fresh talent and get the new team to play his way.

Oh and we're nowhere near as good as Barca yet but then who is? Real got thrashed by them and Arsenal were fortunate last night. A perfectly good goal disallowed which would probably have been game over.

Flotsam like Kompany, Toure, Tevez, de Jong?