Champions League, Round of 16, 2nd Leg: Barcelona (2) v Arsenal (0) Weds 16th March, BTSE, 7.45pm

How can we play our strongest team here in what is surely going to be a defeat overall and most likely on the night as well and then play Everton less than 3 days later at Goodison ?

I don't see how it can be done.

I know it would upset some people but I would play a much weakened team here and put fresh players out against Everton.

We are not going to beat Barca 3-1 at the Nou Camp are we.

The only thing left now is to finish in the top 3 hopefully above Spuds but probably not.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Surely even Wenger gets the reality of how big this game is. I know he's bored of fans questioning his metronomic mediocrity, I know he views any questioning of his absolute authority as farcical. But if we take a moment to guide him back to the real world, a hiding on Wednesday will be the press relations equivalent of throwing chum to the sharks.

We aren't winning this but we at least have to get back to the glorious failure routine. Something positive has to come out of the game because what we are facing this week is iteration 10 of the Wenger collapse project. Get hammered here and then lose to Everton and we've done it again, the complete and rapid disintegration of a season.

Rescuing some dignity in Spain and then getting 3 points against Everton can paper the cracks, which is the best we are left with from a diabolical season. Finish out the season with a bit of pride, do what we all know is going to happen and confirm Wenger will be here next season and then (the essential ingredient) commit serious resources and a firm intent to the transfer market and perhaps this plunge into the pit can be slowed or even reversed.

Anything less and the players will be gone, the fans will be gone. That will make it twice as difficult when the new guy eventually comes in, which has to happen. Not even Slithery Stan and his gang can be thinking they can get away with a new contract for Wenger. So now it becomes an exercise in damage limitation and preparation of the ground for Wenger's departure. It starts on Wednesday.

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I think we'll just take a sound beating tomorrow, like 3-1 or something like that, I do agree with what you are saying though, we need to come out of the game with a bit of pride and dignity, nobody thinks we stand a chance so we have nothing to lose.

The Everton game on Saturday is the one that worries me, if we lose that and West Ham win we could find ourselves out of the top 4 and given our remaining schedule I'm not so sure we'll force our way back in, our home form is horrid ATM and we have some very difficult away fixtures which right now I can't see us getting anything from.

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Originally Posted by selassie

I think we'll just take a sound beating tomorrow, like 3-1 or something like that, I do agree with what you are saying though, we need to come out of the game with a bit of pride and dignity, nobody thinks we stand a chance so we have nothing to lose.

The Everton game on Saturday is the one that worries me, if we lose that and West Ham win we could find ourselves out of the top 4 and given our remaining schedule I'm not so sure we'll force our way back in, our home form is horrid ATM and we have some very difficult away fixtures which right now I can't see us getting anything from.

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Sad to see that we are now looking over our shoulders - in this f*cking season too!

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Originally Posted by IBK

Sad to see that we are now looking over our shoulders - in this f*cking season too!

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Tell me about it IBK, I don't even think I'm being pessimistic with what I'm saying either, I've been waiting and waiting for this team to start performing but we've been getting worse not better, it's tragic :(

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Originally Posted by dostoy

How can we play our strongest team here in what is surely going to be a defeat overall and most likely on the night as well and then play Everton less than 3 days later at Goodison ?

I don't see how it can be done.

I know it would upset some people but I would play a much weakened team here and put fresh players out against Everton.

We are not going to beat Barca 3-1 at the Nou Camp are we.

The only thing left now is to finish in the top 3 hopefully above Spuds but probably not.

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You have to play the strongest team in a game like this. It sends the worst message about what we are as club otherwise.

We have to go there as a team believing we can win, otherwise what's the point of existing as a club?

What we believe as fans is a completely different thing alltogether.

If we play our strongest team here I cannot see us doing anything other than losing on Saturday. The scheduling is a bit shitty this week.

The only thing we can hope for is a decent performance and maybe that will give us the spark needed to finish the season strongly. Like it did after the brave and heroic efforts against Milan, Bayern and Monaco.

We'll be lucky to get nil.

I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.

without sounding negative.... I don't think we will win this. Also with the TV going up next season does it really matter qualifying for the CL as all teams are going to be loaded from next season. And what is the point of being in the CL only to fail against the first decentish side you play each season. Being outside of the CL really shouldn't affect investment as being inside the CL hasn't really affected investment.

Perhaps being out of the CL for a season might actually get the players realising what they are missing and instill some pride in them instead of complacency.

Anyway Sanchez to haunt his old club with a hat trick as Barca have 3 sent off for diving and generally rolling around. 4-0 to us.

5-2

7-2 aggregate loss. Sanchez with both goals in second leg.