Well let's be honest, we did get out of jail and we never really got started. And as for those posts I saw earlier this week saying we need to get another goalie as Almunia isn't good enough? Actually I hate it when our goalie is our best player because it means that something has gone wrong somewhere else. It's not hard to see where, it was just about everywhere, at least in the majority of the first half. However I'm not going to go all negative, 0-1 is not a disaster, certainly compared to what I was expecting from early on in the game. That we came away with such a slim defeat is a matter if not of pride, then definitely of massive relief. Can we do better next Tuesday, well who knows, but it deffo ain't over yet.

Quite why we played so 'badly' is no doubt the subject of much debate, but we have to remember that there were two teams involved. To put it mildly we started slowly, but the mancs came at us full throttle so, unwilling as I am, I have to give them some credit. Yeugh, I feel nauseous now....

Another point for debate were the tactics employed by Le Prof. It may have not worked quite as he hoped, but I can see what he was trying to do. Let's face it if we had gone gung-ho and been hit on the counter we could have been beaten by a shed load and most certainly be out of the competition by now. So there was little choice, we had to play cautiously. Unless you are very certain of your defence, you can't go all out at OT when you're in the semi-final of the Champions League. It's too risky, particularly when even our first choice defence has had shall we say it's ups and downs this season. I know the old adage is that attack is the best form of defence, but actually good defence is the best form of defence. That doesn't really address the question of whether Nasri can be deployed in a more defensive way, my gut feeling is that a CL semi is not the best place to try something which means playing a different way to how the team are used to. I know it's not the first time we tried this, but it's not something we have been doing all season. Still Arsene must have thought it worth a punt, and let's face it he's proved a lot of us wrong in the course of this year.

I think what I was somewhat disappointed about was that the temperament of some of our players contributed towards our lack of much in the first half. And I am afraid I have to point a finger at Ade yet again although he was not the only one by some distance. Yes he had a thankless task, he wasn't supported an awful lot from midfield, but we've all seem him galloping all over the shop in similar situations. Whether being up against a proper defensive partnership made a difference, who can tell. But he is like too many of our players, brilliant now and again, but invisible way too often.

I think it does go to show just how much Lil' Andrey does for the team when he plays and why he is missed so much when he doesn't. But I don't want to think of whether this is a year too early, I want to play Barca in the final and beat them this time. If I'm honest, I've gotta say the odds are not firmly stacked on our side, although if one of the mancs rearguard has once again succumbed to an injury that may be beneficial to us. But we have beaten them once this season already at the Emirates, and I truly believe we can do it again. Temperament allowing.