Arsenal vs. Barcelona Tuesday 745PM: Page 6 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Arsenal vs. Barcelona Tuesday 745PM

Klaus

speedy wrote:
GaelForce wrote:
Just watching highlights from 2011, Theo was a completely different player then. He looks lean and agile, and he can run with the ball. What happened?

Your watching highlights. All the times he stood on the ball are being edited out.

😆

Theo's always good against Barca to be fair. They're scared to death of him. No one to match him for pace in a team that loves to expose itself down the flanks. Wenger needs to start him and tell him to play like he did a couple of years ago on the wing.

Klaus

To elaborate further, I don't think the transformation is entirely Walcott's fault. The team has changed for the worse in the last 18 months too. We simply don't play with width anymore. It feels unbelievable to write but it's definitely a conscious thing. Wenger would rather put Ramsey on the flank as an auxiliary central midfielder than play someone who can stretch the playing field. He insists on having Sanchez drop deep to pick up the ball on the left. It's all one big mess when it comes to the wide positions.

banduan

Theo was great in that match. Little bad was edited out.

Ricky1985

Klaus wrote:
To elaborate further, I don't think the transformation is entirely Walcott's fault. The team has changed for the worse in the last 18 months too. We simply don't play with width anymore. It feels unbelievable to write but it's definitely a conscious thing. Wenger would rather put Ramsey on the flank as an auxiliary central midfielder than play someone who can stretch the playing field. He insists on having Sanchez drop deep to pick up the ball on the left. It's all one big mess when it comes to the wide positions.

We get a lot more useful and productive width from our two fullbacks though compared to what did back then. Bellerin and Monreal are two of our best technical players and so they warrant the greater involvement in our play in my opinion.

GaelForce

speedy wrote:
GaelForce wrote:
Just watching highlights from 2011, Theo was a completely different player then. He looks lean and agile, and he can run with the ball. What happened?

Your watching highlights. All the times he stood on the ball are being edited out.

😆

Good response, but not entirely fair. Theo's such a strange player, and though his technique is much better than it was in 2007, I don't think he's come close to making the most of his abilities as a footballer. I don't think I've seen him successfully dribble in about three years now, his all round game's gotten worse and worse since his peak form in 12/13. That spell on the left wing was probably the worst I've ever seen him play.

jones

Going to miss this one again, probably a good thing since I'm completely shitting myself already

Gurgen

I'll be in a train for at least the first half and I sincerely hope the WiFi will not be working.

Clrnc

Klaus wrote:
speedy wrote:
Your watching highlights. All the times he stood on the ball are being edited out.

😆

Theo's always good against Barca to be fair. They're scared to death of him. No one to match him for pace in a team that loves to expose itself down the flanks. Wenger needs to start him and tell him to play like he did a couple of years ago on the wing.

Nope. Theo will make more of an impact from the bench when they are tired.

Ox will do Alba.

Mirth

Gurgen wrote:
I'll be in a train for at least the first half and I sincerely hope the WiFi will not be working.

😆

dreamlord

Not too fussed about who starts where (in the entire 11, not Theo vs Ox), the differences are quite insignificant.

Qwiss

Klaus wrote:
To elaborate further, I don't think the transformation is entirely Walcott's fault. The team has changed for the worse in the last 18 months too. We simply don't play with width anymore. It feels unbelievable to write but it's definitely a conscious thing. Wenger would rather put Ramsey on the flank as an auxiliary central midfielder than play someone who can stretch the playing field. He insists on having Sanchez drop deep to pick up the ball on the left. It's all one big mess when it comes to the wide positions.

When has Wenger ever not abandoned the wings?

Biggus

I suppose we'll get mullered in the first game and then go out "gloriously" in the return leg when it doesn't matter anymore as usual.

invisibleman18

The trend over the last few years has been to lose the first leg 3-1 then be "proud of the performance" after the "heroic" 1 or 2-0 win in the 2nd leg and away goals loss. Been years since we went into a 2nd leg still in the tie.

Sicario

Ironically the last time was v Barca....

Klaus

We would have gone through that time too if the referee hadn't screwed us over with the most ridiculous red card I've ever seen.

mdgoonah41

Klaus wrote:
We would have gone through that time too if the referee hadn't screwed us over with the most ridiculous red card I've ever seen.

that van judas red card is one of the biggest injustices of the post-invincibles era. we were flat our robbed. right up there with the away leg at anfield

Jed

I'd start Welbeck. He's the man for the big moments.

QuincyAbeyie

Cech

Bellerin :: Koscielny :: Mertesacker :: Monreal

Coquelin :: Ramsey

Welbeck :: Õzil :: Sanchez

Walcott

But Welbeck won't start, while Giroud will. Possibly Ox instead of Walcott as well.

SimplyThePest

Reckon 4 consecutive years of first leg disasters will see us well-prepared and put in a good showing. Don't think we can do the business over two legs, though.

Short of knocking them out, I'd just like to see us execute a solid plan well and push the hell out of them in both matches.

Clrnc

I would start Ox on the right and Welbz up front. Reckon that pace would hurt them.

Welbeck has been stellar in big UCL games for United.

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