I hold the aim of anything in hold up should be to do it so well that it becomes an art. Football is identical to that. When I watch Barcelona, it is art Arsène Wenger, Aug 2009
It was Barcelonas luminosity last season, as they upheld and dribbled their proceed towards one prize after another, that postulated and strengthened Wengers prophesy of how football can and should be played.
When it was put to him last summer that a group cannot idea to delight by art alone, the Arsenal earthy education instructor responded simply by asking: Which bar won all last season? And do they fool around good football?
Barcelona are all to that Wenger aspires: artistic, creative, free-scoring, richly entertaining, mostly home-grown and here is the consequential piece richly successful. When they run out at the Emirates Stadium on Mar 31 for the initial leg of a mouthwatering Champions League quarter-final tie, they will do as champions of Spain, champions of Europe, champions of the universe a daunting awaiting for Arsenal, whose last prize came in 2005.
Related LinksArsenal might onslaught to pass BarcaUnthinkable happens for HenryHenry earnings to Arsenal in Champions LeagueFor all the delectable aspects to this tie the lapse to North London of Thierry Henry, the homecoming of Cesc Fàbregas for the second leg at the Nou Camp, the probability to slobber over the talents of Xavi Hernández, Andrs Iniesta and the exquisite Lionel Messi the genuine plea for Arsenal will be to infer that they, identical to Barcelona, can win trophies as well as the common plaudits for inventive impression.
Until Arsenal infer otherwise, as they will idea to do twice in the space of a week at the quarter-final stage, they will be regarded as Barcelona Lite. That should be seen as a compliment, but it is backhanded; not usually does Fàbregas, the Arsenal whitchcraft and captain, onslaught to get in the Spain midfield forward of Xavi and Iniesta, but, distinct Barcelona, they do not have the genius to take their diversion over the artistic, technical dimension to kick top-class opponents who are bigger, stronger, some-more experienced and, in most cases, improved organised.
The enlivening thing for Arsenal is that, opposite Barcelona, they will face a group built on identical lines. Wenger had talked with brag last week about the probability of confronting an English bar in the quarter-finals, but in being he will find a competition opposite Barcelona some-more appealing. At slightest he knows that Pep Guardiolas group will, to an extent, concede Arsenal to fool around their own game; they might well inundate the midfield, as Manchester United have finished to good outcome opposite Wengers side, but it will be with players identical to his own, such as Xavi and Iniesta slight of body, but discerning of mind and swift of foot.
The complaint for Arsenal is that their disadvantage to the counter-attack, that appears to be a product of their fasten to personification the right way, could be brutally unprotected by a group of Barcelonas ability. If Gaël Clichy had a vehement time opposite Nani when United won at the Emirates Stadium in January, what will occur opposite Messi? No make a difference how Barcelona line up, either it is Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Pedro Rodríguez by the middle, there is a knife-through-butter peculiarity to their aggressive play.
The chinks in Barcelonas panzer division are in defence. While Gerard Piqu has finished fantastic swell given returning from United, Carles Puyol is an inspirational defender rather than a good one. Daniel Alves, the right back, is some-more an auxiliary winger; it will be engaging to see how he handles the indeterminate hazard of Andrey Arshavin. Víctor Valds is a efficient goalkeeper, but he is no Iker Casillas.
Barcelona were knocked about in the semi-finals by United dual seasons ago and, but for an haphazard arbitrate in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, would roughly positively have depressed to Chelsea at the same theatre last season, when Iniestas stoppage-time idea incited better in to an away-goals victory. Over those 4 semi-final matches opposite United and Chelsea, Barcelona scored usually once, but that was in piece since they were suffocated by their opponents diversion plan. And when it came to the last in Rome last May, United were overwhelmed.
Arsenal, in any case, will not proceed the tie as United and Chelsea did; it is simply not in their nature. They will try to fool around Barcelona at their own game. They will try to quarrel glow with fire, wakeful that the required knowledge is to make use of water. And they will idea that, with Fàbregas, Arshavin, Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky in their ranks, they can compare Barcelona for dexterity and creativity and that Nicklas Bendtner, who scored a hat-trick opposite Porto in the last round, can take whatever chances come his way.
It can be done. For all their mystique, Barcelona are not a monster. It is tantalizing to go down the suppositious track and consternation how they would cope if they were forced to barter leagues with Arsenal, withdrawal Xavi, Iniesta and Messi to face the kind of earthy diagnosis that Wenger complains about opposite opponents such as Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City. There are a little sincerely heartless defenders in La Liga, as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would frankly testify, but there are not the continuous clashes and collisions in midfield that Wenger finds so offensive to his principles.
Wenger, you suspect, would love to be means to take his Arsenal group to La Liga, to concede his youngsters to develop in an sourroundings where the importance is on technique, not efficiency, where the football is pleasing and where dexterity is indulged. But in the genuine world, Arsenal do not have the choice of fasten Barcelona.
The usually proceed to go where he wants to take them, to stop to be Barcelona Lite and to turn a heading European force in their own right, is to kick them. And if they do, the odds is that Inter Milan and Jos Mourinho not an art lover, by all accounts will be watchful in the semi-finals.
hair wig
No comments:
Post a Comment