Bayern v Arsenal? Bayern the best TEAM in the World?

[Karl]

I think so. ...and I include thinking on among National TEAMs.

This match is a master class. It teaches how speed/pace separates 'men' from 'boys'.

Let's face facts the Arsenal TEAM is among the World's best when pure technical ability is considered. ..but the team is slow when put against the TEAM with top pace.

Interestingly the GUNNERS have been cut to pieces by 2 TEAMs with abundance of pacey players. ManCity and Liverpool did it in different ways. ManCity and Liverpool were both fast out of the back and had upfront 'clinical' finishes. Not that the GUNNERS were not in those games.

The GUNNERS made their chances but compared to the finishing of their opponents in those games my GUNNERS were woefully inefficient. Liverpool, for example, got perhaps 6 chances and 4 ended in the back of the net. ManCity were not far behind in terms of the use of chances. They were 'deadly' in front of goal.

In this match - Bayern v my GUNNERS - consistent speed across ground, speed of thought as shown through movement speed on action of sliding into space and utilization of passing lanes and openings and finally speed of foot.

The ease with which the Bayern players have the ball do their will is astonishing. At this pace of thought and movement - technically their is no drop off - they are simply TOP OF THE WORLD.

A mixture of great defense by My GUNNERS and less than clinical finishing has keep the score to 0 - 0 at the half when if truth be told the Bayern play deserved Bayern 5 - 0 Arsenal.

Still my fingers and toes are crossed as my GUNNERS match up better against the other TEAMs left in the competition.

Got to admit that in this match my GUNNERS are in above their heads!!!!

[Gamma]

at the moment, YES! like any team they can be beaten but the odds don't favour that!

[Paul Marin]

at the moment, YES! like any team they can be beaten but the odds don't favour that!

Not to mention the added chances they seem to get from Robben's blatant diving. Mo...if you want to talk bout tief, Robben mek Suarez look like a choir bwoy. Unbelievable.

[Karl]

Podolski proves he is far and away more intelligent...

...than his TEAM mates when the game is played at this level.

First - Let us be clear Bayern stopped playing after about 15 minutes of the second half.

So we are looking at 65 minutes where the quality of Bayern was TOP OF THE WORLD. The rest of the game was there for the Arsenal players to show they had good understanding of how the game is to be played.

Unfortunately Giroud continued to play the fool. In the second half when Bayern decided to allow my GUNNERS a look in, he contrived to find himself off-side on two more occasions when a good Arsenal attack was on the cards. In short, Giroud broke up his TEAM's attack and gave the ball to Bayern...often. When that is added to his first half display where his lack of pace, lack of quick feet and slowness of thought allowed multiple giving way of the ball by failure to reach passes before his opponents, backing into his defender which resulted in his either fouling 'his man' or making a poor pass you have to wonder on his performances against quality teams -the Liverpools, ManCities,,Chelseas, Bayerns - showing the true picture on level of his quality being less than stellar?

Impressed with the "The OX" showed he belonged at this level. My GUNNERS MOM! A pity he did not by-pass some of the others at times and bring Podolski more into the game.

Podolski next in line as MOM. Well taken goal ( - even if had the ref been consistent in his calls Podolski would have been called for a push before scoring).

Fabianski - 3rd in line for MOM. Had a good match as stopper, passer and sweeper. ...cannot forget he save a penalty.

Incidentally - That penalty should not have been awarded. Was a flop by the attacker.

The defenders Mertesacker and Captain Vermaelen were very good.

----------

My GUNNERS:
Good TEAM fight against a team far superior in quality!

Negative
- This is not the total package.
1. Short-term: Less matches on the run in to FA CUP and EPL trophy fights.

2. Long-term: Giroud (too slow), Arteta (too slow), Walcott (works on only the attacking side of the game cannot afford him against top quality TEAMs) and Wilshire (Too slow of thought and action) need to go.

The above are all players who will most often run riot against EPL table #8 downwards.

Needed top forwards, top center back, top back wide on the left and on the right.

Needed creative midfielder in the mold of the 3 we saw tonight. - Movement, strength, pace, quick feet, speed of thought. Time and again they sent away team-mates into and around My GUNNERS penalty-area.

Their work demanded at least 4/5 goals...and 6/7 would not have flattered.

Positive:
Less matches on the run in on the fight for the FA Cup and EPL title.

This must have increased awareness of Manager Wenger that he has a gem in Podolski and should strain every fibre to keep him and to play him on the run over the remaining matches....right?

Podolski's ability to have the ball obey at the high paced 65 or minutes when everything was frantic stood out. His passing...movement...taking of his goal, etc. was good....very good. He was at home in that game something you cannot say about many of My GUNNERS.

"The Ox" can only get better.

[Gamma]

NO ONE ... repeat NO ONE, except beelzebub, can make suarez look like a choir bwoy! suarez repertoire is way beyond diving!

[Jamaica2099]

I would not know how true that Bayern is the best team on Earth. I recall the first leg being even until My Gunners went down to 10 men.
You all know the rest???????

[Rockman]

Personally speaking,I was expecting much better from Ozil.

[Mosiah]

Not to mention the added chances they seem to get from Robben's blatant diving. Mo...if you want to talk bout tief, Robben mek Suarez look like a choir bwoy. Unbelievable.

choirboy
A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble. As a derisive slang term, it refers to a do-gooder or someone who is morally upright, in the same sense that "Boy Scout" (also derisively) refers to someone who is considered honorable or conscientious.

So, do you want to re-phrase that, Paul Marin?

[Karl]

I would not know how true that Bayern is the best team on Earth. I recall the first leg being even until My Gunners went down to 10 men.
You all know the rest???????

I think you were watching the wrong match or you were fixated on the score and forgot to watch the match.

[Karl]

at the moment, YES! like any team they can be beaten but the odds don't favour that!

Agreed!
Well yuh dun kno any TEAM can be taken on a given day!

After watching today's Barcelona v ManCity match I think a Barcelona v Bayern match would make for a very, very interesting spectacle as both should greatness on attack and not so 'greatness' on defense when pressed.

In the 2nd half of the Bayern v Arsenal...when Arsenal came out of its shell and Bayern took its foot off the gas and similarly in the 2nd half of the Barcelona v ManCity match...during that 2nd half when both Arsenal and ManCity were hitting on the counter the respective opponents could not shift gears and regain the 1st half dominance. As fact, both Bayern and Barcelona at times appeared real discomforted. Now as both are great going forward it would be of great interest taking keen note of how each manages on defense.

Yup! ...could be a match-up worth going miles to see

-- btw -*Re: ManCity
- Bricktop and HL: One in the bag and miles to go in the EPL. ...that talk of 4 trophies that we heard only a few weeks - (Could that have been 2 weeks past?) - ... puff!

...and what a hell it would be if it ended up being only the 1 in the bag

*'Re: ManCity' inserted after reading Gamma's post. 'Re: ManCity" inserted to clarify the topic being addressed to HL & Bricky. Sorry about to confusion.

[Karl]

Personally speaking,I was expecting much better from Ozil.

Frankly the cast around him ignored him often when he was well placed to do damage or destroyed any hope the GUNNERs had by being too often extremely poor.

Watched the game a number of times and it is true Ozil lost the ball on or about 3 or 4 times...but he also made a number of telling passes that were fumbled. As a commentator remarked he appears languid but does his part. Not his fault TEAMmates pass him by or fumbles his passes so often.

At times in matches and certainly in this match it appeared to me that his TEAMmates were deliberating ignoring him and playing anti-GUNNERS football. It appeared a crime to have your player so well placed...alone with God by side...on the field and no delivery of the ball

Take another look at the game...it comes on again on Directv Ch. 646 and 654 on Friday (this Friday) 14 Mar. 2014 @ 10.00am.

[Karl]

Not good enough. Arsenal duly exited the Champions League, drawing some pride in holding the champions of Europe and particularly in the vibrant performance of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but once again Arsenal were just not good enough.

Mesut Özil was too quiet when they needed him to make amends for his wasted penalty at the Emirates. He had a point to prove against sceptical German fans and he failed. Due allowance must be made for the sensitive hamstring injury that Arsenal claimed afflicted Özil, apparently causing his withdrawal at the break, but it could have been a diplomatic injury. Arsenal fans deserve more from a £42.5m player.

Olivier Giroud was too laboured, too isolated and too often failing to press Bayern Munich’s defenders who calmly strolled forward with the ball. Arsène Wenger must also accept overall blame for this, for the deficiencies in the squad, for failure to instil tactics that might have turned the ball over more.

Wenger seemed more interested in contesting refereeing decisions before, during and after.

Arsenal’s cerebral manager should analyse the stats that signalled the gulf between the sides. Forget the scoreline. Bayern were never really in danger.

Even below their best, Bayern had 64% possession and nine attempts on target to Arsenal’s five. Collectively, Pep Guardiola’s side covered more ground, 119,628m to Arsenal’s 114,519m, and completed more passes, 631 to 270, with a completion rate of 83% to 57%.

Arsenal were just not good enough.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...ch-report.html

[Gamma]

What yuh talking about? Only 1 is the bag!!!!!

[Mosiah]

Reminds me of those days when you would justify Tappa's ordinary performances by just blaming "the cast around him".

Aaaahh bwoy!

[Jangle]

Reminds me of those days when you would justify Tappa's ordinary performances by just blaming "the cast around him".

Aaaahh bwoy!

...and fail to give Hue credit despite of the cast around him.