Pride
It’s Tuesday, and this evening an unusual Arsenal team will face Barcelona in the 2nd leg of the Champions League semi-final. Unusual because we will be without many of our key players.
Possibly more unusual because some other key players are “a doubt”. Fabregas, Arshavin, Gallas & Song are out. We already know about Van Persie of course. But Campbell and Rosicky are also
both doubts for the game.
We play a Barcelona side riddled with injury too, but still, one feels, somewhat stronger than this Arsenal side. The ONLY way to counter Barca, I would argue, is to go at them. To play
with fervency and passion. To go for it in the way that they did in the second half last week.
Wenger admits the squad is threadbare, but reinforces what some of the players have been saying this week – that the team need to keep Barca on the back foot from the start. Which probably
means Barca will score early, such is our luck.
But, pessimism aside, this Arsenal side is capable of the kind of determined performance that could see them drawing 3-3 and going through! I must admit that would satisfy me!
So, to the team:
Mostly it writes itself given the levels of injuries…
- Almunia
- Sagna, Campbell, Vermaelen, Clichy
- Denilson, Diaby, Nasri
- Rosicky, Bendtner, Walcott
The only changes likely are if Campbell and/or Rosicky fail their respective fitness tests in which case I think we’d see Silvestre at LCB and Vermaelen at RCB, and probably Eboue in place of
Rosicky.
I suspect Eduardo will only make the bench in light of his average performance against Wolves, and I understand Vela didn’t even make the squad. Merida will be going however and it would be
just like Wenger to give him a start in place of either Rosicky or Walcott!
History
I won’t go into the history of Arsenal versus Barcelona, or even (as some have) the history of Arsenal as underdogs overcoming great odds.
We KNOW the odds are stacked against us, and we KNOW it’s ONE GAME!
It’s always only one game.
And win, lose or draw, we’ll have to pick ourselves up for the spuds next Wednesday.
This one game is big – but it’s not the final, and it’s not the end of the world…. win, lose or draw.
Of course I desperately want a win, and I’ll be very sad if we lose.
But what’s more important to me is the performance of the team! I want to be proud of them.
I want them to give 100% for 95 minutes, and make all of us Arsenal fans proud of a team that WILL NOT GIVE UP, whatever the score, whatever the
result. I am proud to support Arsenal, no matter what the boo-boys say, and entering the 42nd year of my love affair with the club, don’t expect that pride or love to end anytime soon!
C’mon you Gunners!!!
P.S. Does anyone know of a decent pub (or anywhere really) in or around Wells, Glastonbury or Bristol where I can watch the match tonight? Send me a DM please.
P.P.S. Blogging from an iPhone in a crap signal area is not ideal!
