Ahead of the big clash tomorrow, Arsenal Articles have asked the website totalBarca for the Barcelona perspective. I have spoken to Spencer from totalBarca to get his views on Barca, Arsenal and bien sur Cesc Fabregas.
AA: Spencer, thanks for joining me. Prior to the draw of this weekend, Barcelona had won sixteen consecutive games in the league, including a 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid. Are Barcelona really stronger than last season ?
tB: I'd like to begin by saying thanks for having us. To all intents and purposes Barca are a lot stronger than they were last season, this despite the loss of big game players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Yaya Toure and Rafa Marquez. But where some have left those who have come in, or more importantly remained, have really stepped up the plate, growing more consistent and mature in the process.
David Villa has settled in as if he has always been with us; Sergio Busquets and Pedro have proven irreplacable, whilst Eric Abidal has taken on the roll of defensive talisman. Add to that the greater strength in depth and versatility within the squad provided by Ibrahim Affelay and Adriano and it becomes obvious that this is an ever evolving team.
Most people viewed Mourinho’s arrival at Real Madrid as a real threat to Guardiola’s Barca this season. How do you explain that such a young coach like Guardiola has managed to outwit the hugely successful Mourinho?
I don't think Jose quite knew what he was getting himself in for when he signed up with Madrid. They are team who now exist on ever shifting sands, with players and managers constantly coming and going. As such it is more or less impossible to create any long lasting success. Add to this the fact that Mourinho always has to be the biggest dog in the yard and it becomes apparent that this was always going to be a strained relationship at best.
Mourinho is a manager who creates a battling, antagonistic atmosphere around him and his players. This is great when you are winning, serving as it does to bond and protect players. When you are losing it is a totally different story. Players turn on each other, and morale plummits. No amount of smart alec press conferences can stop that. Luckily for Barca Pep is smart enough to keep his thoughts to himself and concentrate on what really matters - the football.
After last season we all feel we owe Jose one and will be more than happy to see him trophyless come the end of the season.
Was there surprise in Spain that Torres was signed for a lot more than you bought David Villa?
It wasn't so much the price that Torres went for but the absolute abysmal form that he has been in for at least a year, maybe even more, that preceeded his sale. There is little else to say really except there were probably better, cheaper options out there but Chelsea being Chelsea they overlooked them. There was never really any enthusiam amongst Barca fans for the thought he would one day wear the Blaugrana colours. He has lost a lot of pace through injury and a lot of confidence through poor form and as such pales in comparison to the wonderful David Villa - who somehow now looks like a bargain. Thanks for that Roman!
Barcelona are rightly praised for their sensational blend of football. What do you think of Arsenal’s style and do you see any similarities?
As an Englishman I have to admit there are few teams in the Premier League whose style and approach I can stomach for very long. The poetry of the game is often found wanting in England but thankfully Arsene and his boys have not given up just yet. When they're on their game they are the best team in England and certainly play the most beautiful football. If they could add some consistency and major trophies to their style they really would be a power player in the world game. I consider Arsenal a team with who Barca share a grand philosphy and idealism - creativity, youth and fluidity. As such it's a shame one of us will have to exit the Champions League at the others expense again this season.
Mascherano was one of the best players in the Premier League. What is your impression of him so far?
Masch' has really struggled to get a foothold in the team but when he has been given a chance he has done well enough. As I'm sure you will know he is dedicated and strong in the tackle, the problem comes in his distribution and his slowing down of the play. Given time he will find his feet and hopefully next season he can play a greater role for the team. That is unless he arrives at the Emirates as part of any Cesc deal that may be on the cards!?
Haha. Cesc had to come up ! Much of the pre-match talk will be about Cesc Fabregas. Why is Barcelona so eager to sign him despite probably already having the best midfield in the world?
The Cesc conundrum is one of a team who does not like to see it's glory reflected elsewhere thus Rossell is determined to bring him 'home'. Whether this would be a worthwhile move seems almost irrelevant, so good a PR move would it be for our new president. Right now we have the greatest midfield in football but Xavi isn't getting any younger with many seeing Cesc as his natural replacement. Having said that the general mood of the fans seems to favour giving Thiago his chance rather than paying over the odd's for Cesc. We shall wait and see whether the club has learnt its lesson about losing its great young talent?!
Will Puyol be a big miss tomorrow?
El Capitan will be missed of course, he is the rod of steel around which the flag flies. And yet it could well prove a blessing in disguise. As I've already mentioned Eric Abidal has really made the centre-back position his own in recent games, with his mobility and intelligent reading of the game holding him in good stead. This could be huge against the likes of Chamakh, Walcott and most importanly Robin Van Persie. The question is who will Pep deploy at left-back? Adriano may be a shock choice for his pace and dynamism, although Maxwell proved he could do a job against you guys last season.
Finally, what is your prediction?
If we get half the game that we got last season at the Emirates then we will be in for a treat but the pessimist in me says it can't be that good again. This is a game that will be won and lost in defence, as such I see both teams getting goals but Barca coming out on top. A hard fought 2-1 or maybe 3-1 away win. Goals for Pedro, Villa and Van Persie.
Thanks to totalBarca for their time. You can read more of their views about the game at:
http://www.totalbarca.com/
http://www.totalbarca.com/
