Christ, DM...
Do I think the 'Invincibles' would stand a better chance of beating Barcelona than the current bunch? Yes.
Do I think that the current bunch play under a philosophy that is that much different from their predecessors, execution aside? No.
That's all his point was, not that it was likely but that beating Barcelona without sitting ten players behind the ball is something that Wenger and the Arsenal staff have shown themselves to be capable of even if they've fallen short before.
Personally I can't see Arsenal doing much other than losing by a couple unless they collectively play a blinder and Puyol and co. have a horrendous game.
Yeah, identical execution, sideways passing till death or no choice but go forwards, 4-5-1, single striker, big man target being asked to hold it up, midget on the wing incapable of controlling, dribbling, passing, crossing, these are all the fundamental principles Arsenal played under Wenger for his "early years" as they will now be known.
Rubbish, utter rubbish, he wants a passing team, he still has that, except they aren't nearly as good.
80-90% of our goals in the early years were counter attacks, the same is not true now, passing sideways was directly "anti Arsenal" in those years, never pass backwards, ever was the general principle, 4-5-1 was unheard of at Arsenal under Wenger until the day our unbeaten run came to an end, defensive formation is the absolute standard now, 4-5-1, defensive, control midfield was completely against what happened in the early years.
This I get really irked by, people who insist Arsenal are trying to play the same way, we aren't, Arsenal were the fastest counter attacking, balls out all out attack. Two defensive midfielders, TWO, in a 5 man midfield. Even when we were crap, and went to old trafford, or away in Europe we almost every single time went 4-4-2 and balls out attack, and we USED to win away from home in Europe and against the top 4.
Arsenal aren't a patch on the old team and do not play anything like the old team. Yes, guess what, the goal you are trying to score in is at the other end of the pitch, and eventually you know, you end up there no matter how badly you're playing.
THe idea of Gilberto spending time on the ball and trying fancy chips over the defence to play in Nasri/Arshavin like Song tries is laughable, the idea of Gilberto getting the ball half way through a counter attack then holding it up, passing backwards, getting the ball, passing backwards, getting the ball, passing sideways, over and over, laughable. Gilberto stayed back 99% of the time in his Arsenal career, he got a pass, he turned he found someone running forwards and laid it into their path quickly to continue a counter attack.
Seriously, go online, watch some vids of the invincibles, we don't play even close to the same way.
The 2-3 fundamental principles of old Arsenal were, pass and move, pass forwards only, 4-4-2, all out attack.
Now, pass and stand completely still, pass forwards, or preferably sideways, or backwards, or stand still, 4-4-2 - only in an emergency at the end of a game when we're 3-0 down with 6 strikers on the pitch thanks, all out attack, no thanks, big man up front we'll lump it too and ask him to hold it up on his own for the half an hour it takes to get up to support him.
