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Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport
Arselona

Wenger needs a drop of the Jose approach

Arsenal will need to pull something out of their sleeve if they are to beat the magicians of Barcelona tonight.

DON’T FRET, THE above title is not for a moment suggesting that Arsenal ask Cesc Fabregas to hold or adopt the supposed anti-football that Inter Milan used in knocking out Barcelona last year.

What Arsenal and Arsene Wenger in particular could take from that Inter win though is their indifference to Catalan brilliance.

We have all heard the motto. They are more than a club, they have taken football to a whole new stratospheric level. The praise for Barcelona can reach giddy levels but it is fair to say they have earned it. Arsenal cannot apply the same plan that Inter did on the pitch but they can take some of the neazurrzi’s mischief off of it.

Pep Guardiola, having seen his side humbled 3-1 in the first leg at the San Siro last year said they would soak the Camp Nou pitch for the return leg. A not exactly subtle suggestion that Inter had slowed the surface down to halt Barca’s rapid fire passing.

Barca of course, continued to soak the turf long after Mourinho’s side had won the tie. A reminder that for all their class on the pitch, there can be a distinct lack off of it when someone thumbs their nose at them.

Arsenal would not dare do anything similar. It may seem harmless but sometimes just a drop of supposed disrespect is needed. But it would not be faithful to their philosophy as Wenger has explained this season and last when he admitted he would not man-mark Lionel Messi.

But what is the harm with a little mind games? Why continue to tow the Barcelona line that they are the greatest in the world and that Arsenal are going to try and beat them at their own game?  The Gunners, like Inter before them have the tools to defeat Barcelona. Applying them at the right time is key. In the likes of Fabregas, Walcott and should he prove his fitness Samir Nasri they have players that can play at pace and unsettle a Barcelona back four that can creak if it comes under sustained pressure.

In yesterday’s press conference Wenger explained: “’Tomorrow we want to be faithful to our philosophy, to make sure we dominate the game, that we pass the ball and that we have possession of the ball. If we do that, we have a very good chance of beating them”. He is correct in a sense but it is what Arsenal do without the ball that will decide the tie.

Should they let Lionel Messi float like they did last year than the result will be the same. If Xavi Hernandez is not quickly knocked of off his stride than he will keep the ball and the Arsenal philosophy will be reduced to that of a very good snooker player watching a better one at the table.

Mourinho uses every trick possible to extract every last drop from his team. His Inter were nowhere near as good as Barcelona and yet they prevailed. The argument could be made that this Arsenal side are a better team then the current European champions but they are also a much nicer one, with a manager who does not believe in tricks.

He needs to pull something out of his sleeve. If not, Arsenal will pass and look pretty, and Barcelona will win.