Arsenal
Barcelona Victory has consequences for the Premiership
It gets Messi
By Boris Mellor
April 7 2010
Arsenal's Champion League ambitions came to a Messi end at the Nou Camp with a four-one defeat. One of the heaviest defeats ever suffered by Arsenal in Europe, without checking the records I think it is the second worst defeat the club has ever endured.
Of course Barcelona is the last place you want to visit when you have five first choice players missing, but even if they had played it is hardly certain that they would have stopped the rampant Catalonians.
It should also be noted that Barca started with a makeshift defence, not that Arsenal were able to trouble the defence that often because they couldn't get the ball for long enough to do any damage.
Wenger was gracious in defeat saying something I don't remember him saying before, "They were better than us". Now football fans are tribal and don't often think beyond their own club, so Arsenal's discomfort will amuse many, especially those that have suffered regular defeat at their hands. However I think the manner of Arsenal's defeat has wider implications that many will want to deny.
Indeed when Hungary beat England 6-3 in 1953 there were many who denied it had any significance in relation to the state of English Football. They remained convinced that tough tackling and a bit of welly was all that was needed to beat the foreigners.
There will be those who will come to a similar conclusion over this Barcelona victory. Arsenal didn't get into Barca's face enough, not enough tackling, not enough welly, not enough work rate. Some will claim that Manchester United and Chelsea would have sorted them. Even those who don't think that will argue that a better organised team would have performed better, and they are probably right, but would a better organised team have defeated Barca, or even avoided defeat? On last night's form that is very unlikely.
Consequences for the Premiership?
I would argue that Barcelona stand head and shoulders above the best teams in the premiership. Nor are they just about Messi, but let's consider him for a moment, four goals in one game, the top scorer in the CL, 39 goals in all competitions this season - who compares with that in the EPL? Who comes close? He does it at every level and is the best player in the world. Who in the England Premiership deserves that honour?
But Barca are not just Messi, the playmaker Xavi had a fantastic game keeping the ball and providing the deadly pass. Alves and Abidal not only defended well but also provided an attacking threat. However it was not just a matter of individuals, it was more than that, it was the team work, this team overwhelmingly out passed Arsenal over two games, and this is where the Premiership comes in.
Not only does the Premiership have nothing to compare with Messi and Xavi, but they do not have a passing team that comes anywhere close. Arsenal were out passed to death. It's very hard to beat a team if you cannot get the ball.
In the premiership nearly all teams are out passed by Arsenal, including Man and Chelsea. Yes those teams beat Arsenal this season, but not by out passing the Gunners. Of course it is pointless out passing top teams if you can't score; and saying that doesn't detract from Chelsea or Man U victories. However, it is perhaps surprising that in spite of Man U and Chelsea superiority over Arsenal the Gunners are still in the championship race.
Bar has been lowered
The reason that Arsenal are still in that race, even though the squad is weak and now almost threadbare, is not due to Wenger's luck it is because the bar has been lowered. For several years a team that lost more than three games had no chance of winning the league, now we have three teams all having lost five games or over still in with a chance. Indeed Man U have lost 7 to Arsenal's six and Chelsea's five, yet all three could win the title. Nonetheless, Arsenal's chances may now be fading as the injury list grows too long even for Wenger to manage.
It could be argued that it means that the rest of the league has grown stronger, alternatively it could be argued that mediocrity has spread, may be one or two teams have improved, but it doesn't make up for the decline in the top four. The greatest players are no longer in the Premiership, this season the English teams have not dominated in Europe.
If you want to see the greatest football played go to Spain, if you want to see high speed football and thunderous tackles come to England. Fastest is not necessarily the best.
In 1998 Wenger raised the bar; breaking Man U dominance of the Premiership, Ferguson fought back and brought in players to regain supremacy. Between 2002-4 Wenger grasped that dominance back and reached the heights with the Invincibles. Is there any team in the EPL at the moment as good as the Invincibles? For a while Man U failed to regain its previous hegemony as a Russian spent a fortune to buy two league titles. Ferguson responded by buying a star of his own - Ronaldo.
Lowering the barWhile Man U and Chelsea slogged it out Arsene Wenger deliberately lowered the bar, any stars he did have were quickly offloaded in exchange for a youth policy. This article is not making a moral judgement here, whether that is right or wrong can be argued elsewhere, the fact is that it happened. In effect the bar was lowered and that meant that Ferguson could allow Ronaldo to go for a big fee. He also let Tevez go. Man U were now a selling club, Wenger let Adebayor go, fair enough but he didn't replace him. Meanwhile at Stamford Bridge a Russian allowed his squad to grow older and has become more frugal over the last two years.
That Chelsea and Man U could plan ahead without strengthening their squad was partly due to the fact that the threat from Arsenal appeared to be gone. Meanwhile Rafa had disguised the symptoms of his team's decline with the fig leaf of Torres. In turn this allowed the asset stripping of Arsenal to be carried out without losing a top four place.
It may be that the Premiership is in transition and will transform into a new and dynamic force, alternatively it could just be going through decline. One thing is certain the progress of Barcelona, like the Magical Magyars has thrown a spotlight on some of the dark places some would prefer are not looked into.Legends
Finally anyone who loves football can only hope that Barcelona prosper, it will be a victory for football. We should also hope that more teams will be encouraged to play a similar style of football. When football fans gather around the fire on a cold night and discuss the exploits of Maradona, Cryuff, Van Basten, Puskas, Pele and Best, they will now include Messi in that pantheon of legends. Amazingly he is only twenty two, what wonders will his future bring? That cannot be answered, but it certainly won't be in the Premiership.
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Stumbleupon07/04/2010 18:19
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:04:13:13:43:17 by Padre Pio.
Getting back to the tie,we have been beaten fairly and squarely by a sublime team,they are magical to watch,even whilst tormenting my team,Messi is a once in a generation player without the Ronaldo attitude.
He can be whatever he chooses,but the whole team is so fluent and they work so hard to close down players and space,it is total football,to be given the utmost respect and admiration by any one who loves football.Long may it continue,except against the Arsenal,congratulations Barcelona and good luck for the rest of the season.
Fingers crossed now.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
I've heard that for four seasons consecutively.
Has the German league suddenly become so good or Man U poorer?
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:celine dion
Yes a good read but I would say the title has double meaning, in going out last night, our own chances of winning the premiership have increased DRAMATICALLY. So thats got to be good.
I dont know mate, I've got a bad feeling about the game against the filth next Wednesday
Very good article.
Quote:pk_gunnerQuote:celine dion
Yes a good read but I would say the title has double meaning, in going out last night, our own chances of winning the premiership have increased DRAMATICALLY. So thats got to be good.
I dont know mate, I've got a bad feeling about the game against the filth next Wednesday
Very good article.
So have I actually. I could elaborate but I would prefer not to think about it.
But to make meself feel better, I said to the two girls in my department who support spurs, that if they win next week, I am going to SACK THEM.
Quote:glenhelderswages
Good point - Wenger finally admited we need new players; next year could be good to us -Man U are financially t will be between us, Chelski and City
I won't hold my breath on Wenger's 'promises'. Based on recent history, he will likely sit on his hands until late into the transfer window, scramble for the player he wants and to find out that our bid was not good enough.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
But few points need be contradicted..
Quote:Arsenal were out passed to death. It's very hard to beat a team if you cannot get the ball.
Infact there is still ways to win matches comfortably when you are out passed to death and probably having around 30% of possesion overall.
Infact I wouldn't call it yet..death of samba football, but many are calling it already about Dunga's team. The other way of doing it is breaking the opponents game and take your chances as you create. To most of the people's surprise Brasilian club football also evolving fast towards this direction where tough tackling midfielders towering defenders are ruling the game absolutely unimaginable from Zico, Socretis, Falcao's land(who won nothing eventually).
Do you think, recent quality of samba football could match anyway the Argies, Spanish or even Portugese line of fire, I bet noone will believe they can. Fortunately the matches are own not by passing or by possesion but by scoring more than your opponents.
Quote:Well you might be true to say Wenger lowered the bar by making the PL mostly a two horse race by taking Arsenal out but it was always a two horse race only it used to be between Manu and Arsenal instead. So the bar of PL was not really lowered.Bar has been lowered
I was watching an interview of Felix Magath, the German manager who coached an unknown team Wolfsburg to Bundes liga champion last year and this year to everybody's surprise he is challanging the title against Byern with Schelke. What he was saying he developed a team for a couple of year with Wolfsburg and won the title and this year he's developing a team still who even to his surprise quickly become a title challanger. I don't know the amount but it's sure he didn't have the fund to spend over night to buy a title challanging team like Madrid. Neither am I saying he has developed two sides better than Arsenal or better than any top 4 sides in PL. But anyone who watches Bundes liga knows both the teams he managed have handful of world class players. The point I am trying to drive is not always it needs a comfort zone of 5 years of development period to produce a title winning team.
Quote:When football fans gather around the fire on a cold night and discuss the exploits of Maradona, Cryuff, Van Basten, Puskas, Pele and Best, they will now include Messi in that pantheon of legends.
Well like millions around the world would love to see Messi among the legends, so do I(make no mistake) but by scoring 39 goals till date, with 4 hatricks in this season if just for the shake of discussion if Barca's road ends in Inter and Madrid lifts the La Liga and Argentina missed the WC QF with the star started team and all the silky short passing football, do you think still people will consider him among the legends you named!! The point is too early to be called somebody a legend.
Bottom line, take it easy...Barca own a football match, Lionel is in best of his form but don't see much of consequence of it. And if there is any, I hope that's for good and a wake up call for AW to look back and make a reality check around him what is going wrong and how things could change...and most importantly by taking a closer look it makes me believe that just by braking the bank wouldn't solve the problem for AFC...sadly but sadly true.
Arsenal were resticted to 35% of possession, thats ok if you can create good chances on the break - we did that twice over two legs, unfortunately two breaks and a penalty is not enough 6 goals.
Messi was fantastic - it was one of the great European performances, write it off at your peril
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:I agree Arsenal didnt know what to do when they didnt have the ball, inexperience, coaching?
No, we can't say inexperience anymore. Some of it is mindset, a big part of it is Arsene Wenger his philosophy, ego. I think Wenger is too obsessed with few things,
1) Development of young stars
2) Building a title winning team
3) Strongly believing and let others believe of passing football, possession football, Arsenal brand of football, eye catching football...who can play better 4-3-3 football, Barca..Arsenal!!
In the process probably missing the biggest point, ie. finally what matters is winning. Winning matches, winning trophies and most importantly creating a team of winners. A team who is hungry to win and not hungry to play the best pass and score the most perfect goals.
As I said, I don't see, only by spending big this can not be solved, Wenger needs to take a look to the team and create the steel which is needed the most and bring the boys out of the comfort zone of playing "Predictable" Arsenal style football and move on to play winning football. Need to create more versatile players rather than pass, pass, pass and create loads of chances and score kind of team. The good news is he has managed to create some players who stepped up and shown real promises. The next step is to bring the belief of winning and creating the steel...and not necessarily the Barcelona way. Those who can't cope with that require to be shown the door, repeating the same phrase in public or private of Cesc is 22, Nasri is 22, Nick is 23 is not the answer.
*** By Steel - Mean a team of players who finds protecting a lead, stopping others from scoring is as important as scoring a goal.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:04:09:19:09:01 by SandyB1.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
A cup maybe won,CC or FA but even the CL is going to be difficult to win unless your defending is top drawer.
Gallas is a top defender Vermaelen is not far behind,but they are the only ones.
Song is very good as a DM but his positioning requires work to translate it to CB.
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