The Champ. League ref.

[Impactor returns 2.0]

Arse were under pressure before thier keep was sent off, Barca were playing the same way untill the end of the game.

1 extra man or not Barca dominated all over the pitch, 1on1 Barca outplayed each man.

Im glad Barca won, Arse have been 2nd rate all season and [composite word including 'f*ck'] knows how they got to the CL finnal.

The better side won.

[Ozz]

He wasnt a happy man after the game.

Maybe cos he could (and should) win this game for the Gunners, but didn't?

And I agree with Best First, Arsenal did fairly good. Barca just couldn't outplayed them for most of the game, and Arsenal didn't just sit on their half and clear the ball the hell out, they were actually striking back, they had their chances, and they should have scored second goal and won.

But they didn't, and they can blame themselves. Still, kudos for the fight. Great game.

[snarl]

Hmm...

How is a sending off worse then conceding a goal? When goals win games?

Barca were all over Arsenal, who had 8 men in their half (18 yard box) for the majority of the game.

If you punt the ball *near* to a player who is effing fast and who is only against 1 or 2 defenders, of course you will create half chances.

Arsenal did no way near enough to win the game, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Barca play keep ball for the last 10 minutes.

It took the absolute piss out of Arsenal's 1 dimensional hoof play. ******* loved it.

Larson had impact. Well done Barca, would have been a travesty if Arsenal won it. They did defend well albeit in numbers - but that is not going to hold out against class.

So [composite word including 'f*ck'] the *****.

*Wonders what the pedo will say about Lehman's filth*

[Best First]

if barca were so obviously the better side how come they took so long to make it tell against a 'second rate' 10 man side?

Notto mention that most of Arse's best chnace came from helb and Freddy's runs not punting the ball over the top to Henry.

actually, why am i bothering to try and reason with Man U and Spurs fans when it comes to arsenal? **** it.

roll on the world cup and some kind of legal action against ITV commentary.

[snarl]

Arsenal are not second rate. BUt regardless of football ability, they have a etam of very fit, very fast players. When 8 of them play behind the ball, it is going to be ******* hard to break them down - it's tricky!

Barca had a goal against chalked off... personally, I think they would have gone on the rampage once one up. Doesn't matter now though eh? Lehman was ******* disgrace. To be fair though, the sending off couldn't have happened to a bigger ****!

Come on, Barca hit the post and were *yay* close a number of times. The game was largely played round the Arse box. Arsenal did [composite word including 'f*ck'] all bar punt it to Henry.

Arsenal got their goal the only way I thought they could, a set piece - from a blatent dive.

They did **** all bar sit on their box, how the [composite word including 'f*ck'] is that any way to play in and win a blue riband event?

Arsenal's chances were not through good play - Barca had to take a line of play that would offer Arsenal the odd chance. It was whether they could take it. They couldn't, they didn't deserve to either in my opinion.

[snarl]

[Ozz]

Arsenal's chances were not through good play

They were through good defense play, which last time I checked was part of this game. We're one goal up and one man down, so what do we do? Stay behind and wait for counter attacks so our three fast guys up front could try and score a clincher? No, that's crazy talk, we should play an open play and get ourselves blitzed 5-1 so that rival teams' fans who hate us won't say that we were second rated one man team who didn't deserved the win.

Yes, Barcelona had way more ball and there where moments when they were closing Arse on their half. But almost nothing was oming from that for most of the time. Eto'o hit the post, one time they got through left side but Almunia deflected the cross and defenders managed to clear. There were some shots from distance. And that was basically it. They even started to go for free kicks cause they couldn't see a better way.

And Arsenal weren't doing "**** all bar sit on their box, cos their defense was starting with Henry, Hleb and Ljungberg, who were taking the ball and creating chances, which they had quite a few.

Barca had to take a line of play that would offer Arsenal the odd chance. It was whether they could take it. They couldn't, they didn't deserve to either in my opinion.

That I agree with. I'm not even talking about that one from the 3rd minute. Somewhere around 70th minute Henry could and should have score second goal and that would be it. But he didn't, so there.

[snarl]

I didn't say that Arsenal's tactics were flawed, simply that I dont like to see teams do it as it is ***** to watch. Playing that way doesn't fit my romanticised view of the champions of europe. Barca had over 60% of the ball ffs. That is shocking.

They didn't deserve to win because they didn't play football. They parked the bus, blatently. I dont think they defended that well, technically, they got the ball away in the nick of time through weight of numbers.

A good defensive performance would have Arsenal retaining the ball, pulling Barca all over the pitch then playing the ball on the deck to Henry, Ljungberg, Hleb. Much more effective.

The way Barca retained the ball for the last 10 minutes was a GREAT defensive performance. They looked likely to get more and never looked threatened.

The way Arsenal defended for the duration of the game meant that when the ball did fall for Barca, then Arsenal would be in proper **** - as evidenced by both Barca goals being very close range finishes.

Once Barac were in front, they TOTALLY outclassed Arsenal. Toyed with them.

Regarding Arseanl's attacking prowess, Hleb did [composite word including 'f*ck'] all really. For the amount of space afforded to Henry, Ljungberg and Hleb, they did very little for me. They scrapped well for the 50 50s, then got their heads down and ran towards the goal whenever they got the chance.

I missed the 3rd minute miss, heard Henry should have scored. Of Arsenal's other chances, Ljungberg and Henry, neither were great afaic.

They again payed like **** play pro evo - 8 men behind the ball and whack it to Henry. It's exactly the way they have played all their away games this CL and how I expect they would have played regardless of the sending off.

I think the game would have been vastly different had the 'goal' stood and Arsenal's goal should never have stood in the first place.

For Barca to lose having had a good 'goal' chalked off and to concede one to blatent gamesmanship would have been a travesty.

They didn't.

Justice done!

[Obfleur]

The way Barca retained the ball for the last 10 minutes was a GREAT defensive performance. They looked likely to get more and never looked threatened.

They did the exact same thing against Milan.
It's awesome when they get like 30 passes in a row, and the opposing team are just running their balls off, chasing the ball.

[snarl]

Well exactly.

Ball retention is the ultimate form of defence as you are letting the ball do the work whilst the other team gets ****** chasing shadows.

Barca did that to Liverpool in the CL at Anfield a couple of seasons ago. It makes you look and feel ******* powerless and stupid when you get it done to you really.

Of course, all th goons seem to be looking past this little factoid:

EVEN if the ref doesnt blow and allows play to continue and allows barca's goal he still has to retroactively go back and punish punish lehman for a professional foul denying a goal scoring opportunity ie. the goal stands and lehman walks

He did the scum a massive favour by only sending Lehman off.

Any suggestion that he should have stayed on the pitch is frankly idiotic.

[snarl]

I wonder where Jetfire is...



Into this:

[Jetfire]

Lets watch Barca just attack 99% and Arsenal 1% - Barca are such the better side its clear for the world to see.

Well, that never happened.

He wouldnt confirm he was staying which is never a good sign.

Nah. He just didn't want to tall about it then as it was neither the time nor place. He never really wanted to leave Arsenal.

i'd hardly call it justice, supposedly the best team in the world took 50 minutes to make an extra man tell and prior to the sending off Arsenal looked by far the better side - though the sending off was fair the ref was subsequently notably more generous to Barca, especially in terms of letting them get away with dubious challenges but then penalising Arse for similar.

Indeed. Henry's yellow card after clearly winning the ball as well as that Barca player taking him from behind with two legs should ensure that ref is never placed in an important game again.

Still Arsenal did me proud. We played well at all times. Lehmann was unluck to bring down Eto' and I flet sad Pires is going to end his ARsenal career like that.

Criticising a team that is down to 10 men for playing counter attacking football is pretty ridiculous as well, as is the notion that Arse were a one man team tonight; Almunia, Eboue, Helb, Llunberg and Toure all had notably decent games and no one on the Arse side had bad game.

i can't believe i just wrote that about Almunia. christ.

Barca def seemed to cope with the worsening weather better than Arse did though.

Bad luck Arse fans - look on the bright side, at least it wasn't 4-0 and you won't end up being managed by Terry Venebles next season.

As an aside - ITV's coverage was cock. I don't want to hear dickhead pundits saying that refs should ignore the rules so we can see a better match. Bloody hell.

The worst think ever was the constant references to Ronaldinho's intensity. Something never ever mentioned about him before. Every worse was the Ronaldinho- Johnny Wilkingson references.

I thought the ref was horrid and did his bets to ruin a very good game. He wasn't exactly bias to Barca but he did favour them in a lot of decisions.

Did I really hear David Pleat say "the sight is in end" a minute or so before Barca equalised? Learn English, you cock.

Odds on Henry going?

He wasnt a happy man after the game.

I think the real issue's gonna be is "will Barca want him after that?"

Love how The Greatest Player Called Ronaldinho in the World managed to sidefoot it into the corner flag from twelve yards out. Skill.

Still he had a better game than Ronaldinho in my opinion.

if barca were so obviously the better side how come they took so long to make it tell against a 'second rate' 10 man side?

Notto mention that most of Arse's best chnace came from helb and Freddy's runs not punting the ball over the top to Henry.

hear hear

I felt we had a great game. We gave 100%, were unfortuant but could walk away proud we tried our best.

actually, why am i bothering to try and reason with Man U and Spurs fans when it comes to arsenal? **** it.
[/quote]

Give up. Trust me.

Arsenal are not second rate. BUt regardless of football ability, they have a etam of very fit, very fast players. When 8 of them play behind the ball, it is going to be ******* hard to break them down - it's tricky!

Barca had a goal against chalked off...

Actually no. The wistle was already blown and technically the decision was correct.

personally, I think they would have gone on the rampage once one up. Doesn't matter now though eh? Lehman was ******* disgrace. To be fair though, the sending off couldn't have happened to a bigger ****!

I'd never say Lehmann was a disgrace. He was unlucky to be in a posistion in which he had little chance of getting to ball but had to try anyway.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 996270.stm

I wonder where Jetfire is...

Hello

[Obfleur]

Indeed. Henry's yellow card after clearly winning the ball as well as that Barca player taking him from behind with two legs should ensure that ref is never placed in an important game again.

Well, the Arse scored because of one of their players took a really sweet dive and got a freekick.
So IMO it works both ways (the whole ref thing)

[Jetfire]

Indeed. Henry's yellow card after clearly winning the ball as well as that Barca player taking him from behind with two legs should ensure that ref is never placed in an important game again.

Well, the Arse scored because of one of their players took a really sweet dive and got a freekick.
So IMO it works both ways (the whole ref thing)

I never said it doesn't. Nr did I say the ref was bias. I simply pointed ot that the ref was s### and out of the several bad decisions he made most went Barca's way.