Morning RZB - good luck for tonight. You should be ok against the old folks home XI from Italy

One would think and hope so, "fingers crossed smiley" if it's not to be, so be it, no one dies.

Saw this earlier, thought it was interesting...

"Since Opta started analysing all Champions League games in 2003, Arsenal are the only team ever to record zero shots in a match. Blanks."

Also...

"Arsenal made two touches in the opposition goal area tonight; compared to a total of 47 by Barcelona. Contrasts."

And your point is?


The fact was that however we achieved it we were still in the game until the sending off and penalty. Possession means nowt, it's goals that count as Arsenal can testify to their cost against teams in the PL

To be fair... we did exactly the same against you, hardly touched the ball with no shots on target. Yet we were shot down by the media for it

Sorry that your team lost, Veggie.  I hope that Arsenal can put the disappointment behind them and go on to the win the Premiership.

Just thought it was interesting that's all. Arsenal get held up as the finest passing team in the league yet last night it was like men against boys.

What does that say about our league as a whole?

It says that our league is the second most popular after the Germans, with the Spanish/catalans nowhere to be seen.

Popular as in attendances , or reveune swimming about  or popular for Carlos Kickaball to financially set himself up for life.

Thanks Avalon, I hope so too xx


Disley - I apologise for snapping earlier. Just feeling a bit raw tbh. It is sobering how good Barca are but for all I admire them it doesn't stop me hating the love in that goes on with them, and when the ref gives them a helping hand too then it really grates.
Sorry mate

Good luck to Spurs, hope they knock Milan out!


Barcelona deserved to win yesterday, Arsenal are right to not feel happy about certain incidents etc too ofc.


I'm happy that Antonio Valencia is nearly back for United from that horrific leg injury too.

I'd like to see Spurs win this but I don't think much of their gameplan: hoof it up for giraffe boy then hope someone latches on to it in the resulting goalmouth scramble. Brazil they ain't.

Laymans terms please:

What does this mean to the winner? Semi-final for the cup they're playing for? (And what cup is it)

What happens if no-one scores?

I thank you.


(p.s. I know nothing about either team but they both seem to be playing well)

It's the Champions League (used to be called European Cup). The winner goes into the next round (not semi final yet that's the last four). All these ties are played over two games. Spurs won the first one 1-0 so if there's no score in this game they go through. If Milan score it's 1-1 on aggregate so it goes to extra time. No score at the end of that it goes to penalties.

I hope that helps

So if after penalties there's no score then Spurs will still go through and Milan are out?

In the interests of facebook friend outrage I am 38.6% supporting spurs on this. (I would like to see them win but solely because the fans are really going for it with the old sing songs)

Hmmm... not quite. If Milan score one they have an away goal too (Spurs are at home) so nobody has away goal advantage. They get five penalties each if there's no score after extra time. If it's still a draw it goes to sudden death (first team to score after the other misses goes through).

To further confuse the issue, if Milan score two they will have two away goals (advantage) so Spurs will have to score another two to win (making it 3-2).

I almost managed to confuse myself with all that

Spurs are going to do it!

Pretty exciting as nil-nil games go!

Well done Spurs. First English team into the quarter final though they'll need to play a lot better than that to progress any further. They really need to shoot Peter Crouch (or Redknapp, so he can't keep picking him).

Well after all that they got through! That was a good match

Watched the whole Barcelona Arsenal game this afternoon.
It was like watching a non-league team going to the emirates or old trafford, the gulf was that big. It could have been 8 or 9 if it wasn't for scezney and then almunia, arsenal actually defended really well at times, making crucial blocks but it really was one sided, arsenal were lucky to get 1. As for Van persie, very harsh yellow card, ive seen it happen before 1 second after the whistle - stupid. However mr van persie may have been quite lucky not to get a straight red for his first yellow.

I really dont think the sending off made a difference. Arsenals resistance at the back wore off and that wasnt down to van persie going. Like guardiola said, arsenal are a great team, but they couldnt put 3 passes together because barcelona played awesome 11v11 and awesome 11v10.

Re: Arsenal I think people are making too much of Barca being all over them. Arsenal showed them far too much respect and I'd go as far as to say they were downright scared of them right from the kick off. If they treated them as equals they might have got something out of it.

Chelsea and Man U don't show Barca any respect which is why they never maul either of us. This supposed team of world class superstars can't and won't live up to the ridiculous hype surrounding them. I'm  not saying they won't win it but they have much tougher games to come. 

I was thinking about this earlier wondering why they had not foothold in the game at all and seem to remember Arsenal were scared of their own shadow last time they played Barca too and gifted Messi a hat trick by standing off him every time. I still say the sending off changed the game. 11 v 10 when you're at home with the whole stadium going radio is a huge advantage.

Barcelona absolutely mauled Manchester United for 80 minutes in the final the season before last. Mauled them without really getting out of 1st gear.

And how can YOU say 'supposed team of world class superstars'? There's no supposed about it, most of that team are the players who quite comfortably won the last 2 international tournaments. Infact I'm sure something like 8 of the starting 11 in the World Cup final were Barcelona.

I don't think Barcelona will win the Champions League this season, because I do kind of agree with you that a side like Chelsea will or even Inter again if they get through will find away of surviving the onslaught at the Nou Camp and exposing them in the wide areas at home when Dani Alves and Maxwell bomb forward.

But I cant and will not agree with you that their players are only supposedly world class and it's all 'hype' that their players are the best around.

Of course it's not all hype but teams live in fear of them when really, they shouldn't. The infamous Ovrebo game they got ONE shot at our goal for the whole game isn't that what Arsenal were ridiculed for last night? They are beatable they are awful in defence if you can get at them, Arsenal made no attempt to get at them last night.

I don't think Inter will beat them without Mourinho. Our chances depend on which Chelsea turns up, we'll get totally mullered if the 'don't give a shit' Chelsea turn up.  Real can beat them, so can Man U if they're on form but they're a bit erratic at the moment too. I just hate that everyone thinks it's a foregone conclusion that they will win the CL based on their performance last night. They only play like that and totally dominate if you let them. We won't. Nor will Man U or Real.

Just popping my beak in to say that I enjoyed Spurs game tonight more than I enjoyed any of the England games in the 2010 World Cup. They were hungry and it showed. That is all. As you were

I'm not so sure Man United can, their midfield is so poor and will get totally dominated by Barcelonas. They can maybe nick a lucky win at Old Trafford like Arsenal did at the emirates but I dont think they'd survive in the Nou Camp now and certainly arent capable of doing what chelsea did to barcelona 2 seasons ago. Even Inter last season at san siro didnt dominate barcelona like chelsea did in that game (even before barcelona were down to 10 men). Chelsea are the only team ive seen in the last few seasons that have dominated them for a whole match..


Arsenal didn't have a single shot on or off target last night.

They should have eaten before the game then. Numpties.

Duh??! Then they wouldn't have been as hungry? *facepalm*

Karma_ what do you prefer Van der vaart playing just off crouch or a front pairing of defoe and pavlyuchenko?

We're pretty much off the boil at the moment though even given the results of our last two games. Ramires will definitely cause them problems on the right if he plays. Luiz (much as I love him) will probably give them at least one penalty . It's impossible to call, at our best we can beat anyone but we haven't been at our best for a very long time.

I still Man U could trouble them. Nani will cause them problems if he hasn't had his leg amputated. Rooney in a deeper role would sort their midfield out and Berbatov I don't know why old Rednose benches him he's been their best player this year. I don't understand football managers they seem clueless which makes me think I would be quite good at it.

I don't think they'll win it. I think they are by far the best team, but I don't think they will win it. I think someone will find a way of getting past them even if it's a park the 10 man bus on the 6yard line job like Inter did last season

Well done spurs!

I don't know. I just saw the match and thought they played well, particularly that goal that Gabbas saved.

I'm impartial to all the ins and outs of a rats arse gubbins when it comes to football! (apart from the England games when I become a Mastermind champion and usually end up hating the ref)

Help me. I'm being asked questions about people with long names!

Exactly, I'd get it completely wrong which is why any PL team should be desperate to sign me up as manager. Makes terrible decisions pre-match *tick*. Knows fekk all *tick*. Leaves best players on the bench *tick*.

This management lark is a piece of cake 

The way berbatov plays, I honestly dont think he'd see the ball against barcelona. i think you need a more mobile, hardworking front man like chicharito who is going to move for the ball a lot more and maybe poach a goal, because if berbatov waits around for Fletcher and carrick to pass to him he'll be waiting all night against barcas midfield. Fletcher and carrick are so crap that they might as well be off the pitch while iniesta busquets and xavi are amongst them. If i was man united against barcelona id play 4-3-3 put nani on the side where dani alves is to expose them when dani alves is upfront, and rooney on the right side with chicharito down the centre.

Well is that's the criteria for the role than I'd be a perfect candidate. Only problem is I'd get a bit too personal though and would end up running on the pitch and whacking the opposition with my handbag or something. The ref would almost certainly be screaming in falsetto.

Can't agree re: Berbatov. He's a 'right place right time' player which is exactly what you need against Barca as you don't get many chances and you need to put away whatever chances you get. Rooney is wasted on the wing but he's far from his best at the moment anyway I would still play him deep as he's at least intelligent and will always make the right call unlike most of their midfield.

Who do you support by the way? I'm taking a wild guess at Carlisle

I don't see a problem there that's what we call 'hands-on' management in the football world, it is to be commended.

Reading are my team, but i wouldnt say i support them, i dont go to the matches. Im more just a fan of football in general, thats why i enjoy barcelona because they entertain, as do real. I enjoy arsenal as well domestically.