Life’s too short to stay sober

It is as though Pep Guardiola and the backroom staff of Barcelona never bothered watching Chelsea tapes.

And Yaya Toure who spoke of how he was going to get tips from his brother Kolo, either completely forgot or never put it to good use i.e. telling Pep Guardiola about the way Chelsea plays.

This was all so well planned out on the part of Guus Hiddink and Chelsea executed it to perfect.

That my friend, is 90 minutes of non-stop defending, 11 men behind the ball at all times when Barcelona is in possession. Foul if you must, just try to not let the ref see it and try your hardest if he sees it, to protest that it isn't a yellow card offence etc etc. Ballack and his studs out lunges really should have seen red for doing it not once but twice.

But yeah, like I care really, they're not my favourite Arsenal boys there. I would have boiled Downing alive if Cesc got anything serious from his silly late challenge which the ref deemed to be legal.

Anyway, Barcelona thought that with all their attacking prowess, any form of defending from any team wouldn't make much of a difference with a man of Leo Messi and his technical abilities there to torment the defence. The only problem was that he failed to.

The game was so utterly boring I wanted to take out my Math to do but I watched it till the end because I knew from the quarter final and semi final draws, Barcelona would have a hard time against one of Liverpool or Chelsea with all their negative football. And I needed to see that they weren't all that invincible as the rest of the world think they are.

Positive do not always triumph against the negative as we the fans of Arsenal experience day in day out with all the negative football from the Premier League with teams who seem to only practice defending and nothing else. Barcelona has scored 140 goals all season long prior to this game and no one knows when was the last freakin time they had a goalless outing. Chelsea made history then.

Frank Lampard sulking on the bench after being subbed off for Beletti was one to savour. It was gay with all his cross-legged sitting position.

If Barcelona transferred to the English game they wouldn't be as attractive. There was a time not so long ago were Arsenal were dubbed babies by physical teams like Bolton because we couldn't deal with all their flying tackles and whatnots. The Barca players were dropping like flies with every Chelsea challenge. Football is a physical game and for all of a team's craft, there has to be some physicality to withstand the challenges when bombing forward. Too often they whined to the ref with Dani Alves falling and falling under Malouda and not get the decision they want. And then they get frustrated and lose focus and not play the football they are capable of.

Sounds all too familiar.

At least even with a freakin young squad, Arsenal is past this stage. You fall, you get up, you get on with it. Build your strength. Skip past challenges and leave on the ground the one who missed a two-footed lounge on you. Round him and head straight for the goal.

So with regards to the Chelsea game, they still have plenty to do at Stamford bridge but keeping a clean sheet against Barcelona was the top of their priorities and they did well. It'll be interesting to see how the return leg shapes up when they have to attack as well. Prolly sit back and defend defend defend then when Barca loses possession they'll pump the ball up field and counter attack.

United's team news ahead of tonight's clash is like near perfect with only one set to be absent and that is Gary Neville. And us? We have a load of shi to deal with.

Nevertheless, we all know what kind of game it will be tonight, a complete opposite of whatever boring shit I've just watched. Sometimes we all like scintillating football and all the goals and whatever. Be careful what you wish for.

I'm pretty bothered by the game. Last chance to win anything and the first leg is rather important. If the worst should happen, working hard to overturn the cards will be painful to say the least. If it is achieved it would be like the performance of the season but I'd rather the boys keep the task simple and save the performance of the season for the final when they go through.

It's going to be pretty tough and we don't have as many options as United but I believe in my team and they have the quality and ability to win at Old Trafford.

I really want Arsenal for the win so, God of karma, I want to claim whatever good karma I've accumulated so far in my entire life (I'm pretty sure there's quite a fair bit) and use it all on tonight's game and the next one in a week's time. And save some for the final against whoever.

What a big game.

Labels: Barcelona, Chelsea, Man Utd, one of my many theories

A Little Drunken Madness @ 5:20 AM