Arsenal may face an uphill battle when they step out at the Camp Nou tomorrow night, but Laurent Koscielny says the two-goal deficit from the first leg defeat to Barcelona means they can play without pressure.
The Frenchman, who is set to return to Arsene Wenger’s squad after three games on the sidelines, believes that taking to the pitch with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude can help the Gunners find the necessary freedom to spark a surprise result.
“We don’t have pressure like in the first game, because we play against the best team in the world,” the defender told Arsenal Player.
“Now we need to play the second leg away at Barca and we have nothing to lose. People always talk about the statistics and I think we have maybe a five per cent chance to qualify.
“You know when you play against the best players in the world, the best team with a good collective side, it’s very important for us. It can be very important if we can have a [good] result.
“They have a lot of quality, they can have a lot of possession during the game and when they accelerate with their top players, they create chances.
“We need to play with freedom and believe in our quality because we did well during the first six months of this season. I don’t see why we can’t [play like that] against Barcelona and for the rest of the season.
“You know we are in a difficult period and we need to stay like a unit to be stronger. We will fight until the end of the season.”
Obviously, you’re as aware as we are that the line between ‘playing with freedom’ and playing like suicidal lemmings is a fine one…a line often crossed by this current squad.
Laurent’s got the right idea – Arseblog News would most definitely love to see us express ourselves in one of football’s greatest cathedrals – we’re just going to have to get the ball first.
Would be very Arsenal to win this 2-1.
Sorry Kos you’re missing the point here. I didn’t really expect tom beat the best team in the world ATM i did expect my Arsenal to hammer Watford ffs.
“expect TO beat“ etc. I fucking hate autocorrect
Check it before you post…
Yes dad
Would be very Arsenal to be 2-1 down and miss a great chance late on (see Welbeck/Watford).
Or Bentdner v Barca.
It still haunts me
They can win 3-0 if Walcott does not forget to call for an Extraordinary Players-only Meeting….
You know, the one that kinda worked vs hull city away
That’s a polite way to say “we’ll lose this match, mate”.
Should I bother watching the game?
Why can’t these players just shut the F off for once and perform on the pitch. At least, keep quiet before playing the best team in the world and after losing at home to a team that Barcelona might not even heard off.
It’s part of their job to make comments you see. That being said, I also wouldn’t mind if Koscielny just glared at the press and ignored their questions. Everyone knows the deal for this game, everyone knows that the only way we’ll have any hope of qualifying is to transform the squad – not only unlikely, and highly improbable, but nigh close on impossible. I just want to watch a good match. Where we win, and inspire some confidence in ourselves. What I don’t understand is that we had nothing to lose from the first leg. What’s different about tomorrow?… Read more »
They all have media duties which they have to fulfil. It’s part of the package when it comes to competing in these competitions.
ffs.. What is this playing with freedom..? Just don’t get slaughtered or injured and come back with a scoreline that isn’t suicial.. And make it worth our while to stay awake till 3 am to watch this match..
…or travel ~1425 mile round-trip paying upwards of £350 (before food or booze).
Lol.. You win.. I won’t complain about staying awake till 3am..
When the going gets tough. …
Koscielny gets going.
That’s because you’ve already lost it all for fucks sake! Why I oughta
The Boss has spoken. Now go out there and kick Suarez’ arse! COYRG!
We can only try
It is baffling that Arsenal has 9 players on the injured/doubtful list as opposed to 2 players on same list for Barcelona. Questions is why does Arsenal always have these many players out at this time of the year? I cannot remember when last the CL quarter final was played with Arsenal having most if not all the first team players available.
I afraid I dont see how a full squad would have increased our chances on this one
Lol.
First of all, I don’t remember when Arsenal played a CL quarterfinal to be honest!
Quite true…thumbs up!
I wonder what hold Arsenal has over me. No matter how badly we play, how many times we lose, and the many hearthreaks that comes along, I always can’t wait wait to watch every game.
Once a gooner always one
Too many people have written this game off. We need a solid defensive performance and 2 or 3 chances taken against 11 blokes within 90 minutes. Arsene Wenger’s 95% pessimistic view that is all over is defeatist.
Come on Arsenal!!
It would be naive to think that there is no doping/match fixing going on with Barca over the years in my opinion.
My first team is Wimbledon – bear with me, I’m not trolling! I was brought up in that part of the world and as a lad watched them come up and went to every home game and to Wembley in our FA Cup season in ’88 (perhaps you can see where this is going?!). My second team is Bristol City. I live 10 mins from Ashton Gate, my son plays for Ashton boys and we’re part of the local community. I like supporting a local team. Where you can walk down to the ground and discuss their form (currently shit)… Read more »
As a Gooner of 45 years standing… a heartfelt thank you for those bloody fantastically balanced and sobering words. Sadly, no other Gooners have responded… yet?
Anyhow – on behalf of those of us who are truly red ‘n white no end in sight… thank you again. Sometimes one needs the focus of a pair of eyes standing a thousand yards away.
3 – 1 the Arse tomorrow night!
There wasnt much pressure on us in the first leg. No one really expected us to win and we’ve gone out at this stage of the competition for the last 3-4 years. Seemed obvious what would happen and it did.
But at least there’s no pressure tonight, no doubt they’ll definitely be switched on from the first minute and we wont concede against the best club team in the world.
We have nothing to lose except for more players potentially being injured affecting our league run in. I’ll be happy if we get out of there unscathed and having been competitive. Would rather score a couple of goals and risk conceding than to draw 0-0 or something.
I know that PR is part of life now for all teams, but it’s been years now that our players just talk too much. Too much talking makes you lose focus. I dint want to hear Koscielny come out with the obvious for us. I want him to put a sock in it and save all his mental energy for the pitch.
Honestly, do they have to do this? Why does it feel like a constant, tiring, dull stream of babble?
He speaks the truth. We don’t have anything to lose because we already lost the FA Cup, 90% lost the PL title and he is smart enough to predict the future. Meaning, we will lose the CL too.
Let’s hope for the best, though. Hope those fans who travel to Barcelona have some hope to hold on to when they come back to London.
Arsenal have nothing to lose. Make sure its not 5-0 or worse.Thats why defence is aproblem with
Wenger. Look at Rashford, he scored twice against Arsenal but since then has gone off
the boil. Why?
The opposing teams did their homework on him and he was unable to replicate his Arsenal goals.
That’s why Arsenal under Wenger will continue to be weak in defence.I say time for him to go.
I thought our Kos said “We have nothing.”
“we’re just going to have to get the ball first….”
???????????
Barcelona away is a breeze compared to Watford at home.
Haha defence has already played like it was playing against MSN when in reality it was Deenghalo
could definitely end badly tomorrow and affect our already beaten down confidence
Please. Can we just see a performance to make us proud? Just once buck the trend. One time. One fucking time. One fucking time don’t concede due to stupid mistakes. One fucking time don’t do something stupid like give away a needless penalty or get someone sent off. One fucking time don’t miss a host of glorious chances before getting fisted in the ass b the opposition/referee. One fucking time show some movement and desire. One fucking time don’t be the nearly men. One fucking time don’t prove every stupid pundit in the country right. One fucking time don’t be… Read more »
I will not watch this game coz I know it is always shame to our side
Wish we would stop talking Barcelona up as ‘the best team in the world’
Yes, they are an excellent footballing side, but they are not unbeatable and we can certainly frustrate them.
We don’t have to play them off the park, but we can certainly contain and hit them on the counter. We make plenty of chances.
If we are very compact at the back, not allowing them to walk through us then we can cause an upset.
I believe we can do it. Winning is doable. Qualifying? Different story.
Except confidence… Oh wait, that tank’s empty already.
Play with freedom as in side passing side passing side passing backwards passing side passing side passing no one attacking space side passing side passing outside the opposition’s penalty area with area cramped with only Giroud inside interception counter attack some defender left on his arse goal. Or even better, chance to counter ball played to Ramsey Ramsey don’t know what to do holds on to ball to use his freedom of thought skills (one minute later) passes sideways intercepted counter defender left on his arse goal. Ramsey not playing you say?
We’re all doomed.