Champions League Thread [2010-2011]

[Fiero]

I hardly think 22 goals and 9 assists as a LW can be counted as a "failure"

You are responding to Fredrik?

Don't let the ban change you man. Don't feed the troll, especially if it's about Ibra.

Btw, welcome back.

 

[ernesto]

The second goal by Messi reminded me of the Maradona goal vs Belgium in the 1986 World Cup Semi-Final, unstoppable. Oh and when the special cunt loses it's like Inter Merda losing, it makes my week

I know. RMA is my least favourite club and on top of that mourinho is just too much for me. it's like a double dose.. Seeing them fail just made my week.

 

[Ash]

#1 We both know this isn't possible, but it goes both ways, right?

#2 Up until the red card it was an even game, just like the last 2 clasicos.

Interesting fact: Barcelona have only scored in the last 3 clasicos when Real go a man down.

Yet they are an attacking entertaining team that is god's gift to earth and the best team in history as well as Messi becoming the best player on earth since Maradona despite doing nothing with Argentina of note, as well as only scoring vs Madrid when they're a man down in the last 3 clasicos.

eh, what?

In the first Classico they put 4 in before Ramos got his red. Stop trying to twist things around to prove your point. And in the last one it was a deserved red, so I cant see why you are moaning.

As for it being an even game, i certainly didnt see it. Madrid barely had a look in the Barca goal and I am pretty doubtful if the score would have remained 0-0 had Madrid not been given the red. For once I am pretty impressed by Pep and that he didnt let himself fall into a false sense of security and instead ordered his FBs to stay behind. It may not make for pretty football, but it will certainly avert the counter attacks that Madrid are surely gonna do.

I, like many people am appalled by Barcelona's diving antics and hounding of the ref, but it aint like Madrid are innocent either or have you forgetten who started off the divefest? (Di Maria).

I am pretty sure that if Barca didnt do their diving and their hounding of the ref and won people would be finding it hard to justify why they didnt deserve the win.

As for Barca's style of play, I find it pretty impressive. Any team that can hold onto possession for long periods of the game and complete over a thousand passes in a single game deserves respect. It may not be pleasing on the eye, but it surely is effective. It helps to frustrate the opposition and force them to commit mistakes. I doubt many would be complaining if Milan had played the similar brand of football.

And LOL at the noobs dissing Messi and saying he wont be nothing without Xavi and Iniesta. So somehow it is his fault he is a team player and surrounded by WC players. I would love to explain how ******ed the noobs sound, but I feel it would be a massive waste of time.

So, now for the awards ceremony:

Best diver of the game:

Nominees: Pedro, Biscuits, and Di Maria.

I would call it a tie between Bisquits and Di Maria

Best ****** of the game:

Nominees: Pepe, Adebayor, Diarra, Mascherano, Alves

Obvious choice would be Pepe. I honestly feel it had been a long time coming, not necessarily in this game (deserved a yellow at best) but for the previous ones. Still, it doesnt justify what happened.

 

[Fiero]

I dont see how real madrid's lack of discipline makes a barca a lesser team than they are?..
You are also missing the clasico 3 games ago which real got ass raped. That was when real tried to do anything other than parking the bus.

Refs mistakes = lack of discipline from Real?

Kudos to Barca for the 5-0, but what does that have to do with wnything now? It's like an Interista responding to me currently by saying "Hey, we beat you 4-0 last season!". mmm okay kudos to you, but what does that add to the current discussion?

Btw man, parking the bus isn't such a bad thing. You're proving it yourself. They tried to match Barca with an open game and lost 5-0, so this time they "parked the bus" or whatever, and out of 3 games, won 1 which meant 1 title, drew 1 with a man down, and lost 1 after they had a man down.

Praise worthy imo especially as it is Mourinho's first year in charge. Unlike Guardiola who is coaching a team that uses a philosophy first created by Cruyff. Meaning they have been playing this way for ages, they just develop it a bit...

 

[Sven]

BTW, I've said it before, but Mourinho "mind games" is one of the most overrated things in football. How many games did he actually influenced by his interviews?

The only real effect he can put is to keep his players together claiming a cause to fight. And just like happens to every other manager, it's hard to find the balance between motivation and coldness.

And today it showed. For all his show to the press, refree's decisions overall have gone against him. The over the top atitude of his players let him down (and cost the game). Barça players were smarter dealing with the refree (though I don't think influenced him) and also colder all game.

 

[vB9]

BTW, I've said it before, but Mourinho "mind games" is one of the most overrated things in football. How many games did he actually influenced by his interviews

Lol! He isnt Fergy in that department.

 

[fredrik9]

I hardly think 22 goals and 9 assists as a LW can be counted as a "failure"

I'm not gonna get into this argument. I'm glad Ibra left Barca, becuase he belongs in Milan. But Villa, the "perfect" replacement, who should have been perfectly adapted from day 1 after playing in Spain all his life, and in the NT with most of Barca's squad has proven to not be all that Ibra is.

Villa is just another Pedro. Funny thing is that it cost Barca 100 million euros to realize it.

 

[Wild]

Any punishment for a player like Pepe is well deserved.
He didnt deserve a straight red but am sure he escaped many yellows & reds in each + every game so I dont know what the moaning is all about.
Mou using him as a DM is/was a good idea though.
What I dont get is the Ade's sub while subbing Ozil who despite having a mediocre game is the only creative player Real had.
Mou was better introducing Kaka if he wanted to sub Ozil.
And Barca should work on their bench if they want to rule the world coz their bench is short on game changers.
Inie the next game will dance all over Real , true story

 

[vB9]

Villa is just another Pedro.

Thatz a tad harsh.

 

[ernesto]

Refs mistakes = lack of discipline from Real?

Kudos to Barca for the 5-0, but what does that have to do with wnything now? It's like an Interista responding to me currently by saying "Hey, we beat you 4-0 last season!". mmm okay kudos to you, but what does that add to the current discussion?

Btw man, parking the bus isn't such a bad thing. You're proving it yourself. They tried to match Barca with an open game and lost 5-0, so this time they "parked the bus" or whatever, and out of 3 games, won 1 which meant 1 title, drew 1 with a man down, and lost 1 after they had a man down.

Praise worthy imo especially as it is Mourinho's first year in charge. Unlike Guardiola who is coaching a team that uses a philosophy first created by Cruyff. Meaning they have been playing this way for ages, they just develop it a bit...

Didn't pep win a treble in his first year?
And Interista example didnt apply here coz we beat them both matches this season...
I was saying madrid got raped both 11 men and 10 men on pitch. Parking the bus is a tactic used by a team like bari against Milan.
NOT in a match where both teams are high ranks... it's just being a total pusscake.

 

[fredrik9]

Best ****** of the game:

Don't use the word "******". Please.

 

[Sage]

You are responding to Fredrik?

Don't let the ban change you man. Don't feed the troll, especially if it's about Ibra.

Btw, welcome back.

i wasnt really going into an argument, only an idiot would call villa a failure he was overpriced tho.

thanks

 

[Fiero]

eh, what?

In the first Classico they put 4 in before Ramos got his red. Stop trying to twist things around to prove your point. And in the last one it was a deserved red, so I cant see why you are moaning.

Last 3 clasicos = today's, copa del rey final, and the 1-1 in the league.

Take a deep breath. And next time try not to be so "attacking" in your posts. (Don't know if there's such an expression... I don't mean offensive, I mean you just basically attack the person you're talking to without a reason).

As for it being an even game, i certainly didnt see it. Madrid barely had a look in the Barca goal and I am pretty doubtful if the score would have remained 0-0 had Madrid not been given the red. For once I am pretty impressed by Pep and that he didnt let himself fall into a fall sense of security and ordered his FBs to stay behind. It may not make for pretty football, but it will certainly avert the counter attacks that Madrid are surely gonna do.

Debatable. What could have happened without the red card has no way to be proven so why should we take it for a fact? Pepe has kept Messi in his pocket the last 3 games, so why not this one as well? 1 man down gave Barca the advantage, before that it was 1-0. These are the facts.

I, like many people am appalled by Barcelona's diving antics and hounding of the ref, but it aint like Madrid are innocent either or have you forgetten who started off the divefest? (Di Maria).

Real have Di Maria. Barcelona has Busquets, Mascherano, Pedro, Villa, etc...

I am pretty sure that if Barca didnt do their diving and their hounding of the ref and won people would be finding it hard to justify why they didnt deserve the win.

Deserve? Deserve as in football "tactically" has nothing to do with ethics. So taking the diving away... all I can say is that I saw Barcelona unable to beat the "new" Real Madrid unless they had a man down. In la liga game they only scored from a penalty and red card... in the cup final Madrid outplayed them tactically... and today it was 0-0 with both teams with 11 men on the pitch. Real had a man down, which was Pepe, who marked Messi out of the last two games. His red card changed the game...

As for Barca's style of play, I find it pretty impressive. Any team that can hold onto possession for long periods of the game and complete over a thousand passes in a single game deserves respect. It may not be pleasing on the eye, but it surely is effective. It helps to frustrate the opposition and force them to commit mistakes. I doubt many would be complaining if Milan had played the similar brand of football.

The same could be said about counterattacking. These are just different systems of football. What bugs me is that people hail the tiki taka as if it is the right and only way to play football, while they look down on counterattacking as if it's not part of football and call Mourinho's tactics "anti football" and shit.

 

[ezekiel2517]

Missed the game entirely, but that was probably good.

I will join the stunned Milan group that hopes the Mancs win it now

 

[Wild]

Unlike Guardiola who is coaching a team that uses a philosophy first created by Cruyff. Meaning they have been playing this way for ages, they just develop it a bit...

What the fuck are you talking about ?
Your Barca hate is blinding you to a ridiculous point.
Cruyff played a totally different football than Guard.

 

[Ash]

I'm not gonna get into this argument. I'm glad Ibra left Barca, becuase he belongs in Milan. But Villa, the "perfect" replacement, who should have been perfectly adapted from day 1 after playing in Spain all his life, and in the NT with most of Barca's squad has proven to not be all that Ibra is.

Villa is just another Pedro. Funny thing is that it cost Barca 100 million euros to realize it.

LOL, what?. Unlike Ibra in Barca, the Villa of Barca is not an out and out striker nor did Barca need one.

Villa >>>>>>>>>>> Ibra

Just because your loverboy wasnt a success at Barca (he was not a failure as some noobs suggest) doesnt mean Villa hasnt been either. In terms of strikers I still rate Villa over Ibra.

 

[Trillske]

I do feel i little bit sorry for Barcelonas fans, its not your fault this squad is full of divers, whiners, its not your fault the team gladly takes a 70/30 possession in front of its own goal, and its definatly not your fault the referee happens to - again - directly decide a huge tie in your favour. So keep in mind this is not directed to fans:

Holy. F_. Do I hate this generation of Barcelona.

And other than the fact that we are a growing number that cant stand it, I suppose you are not very sad at all, what with all the titles shipping your way. Atleast I hope you just laugh it of because again, I know most fans are good people and I dont want to direct my frustration towards you.

 

[Kalac#16]

@Utd fan: Don't you feel like Michael Carrick is just an incredibly lucky player? He doesn't add anything that any other CM can't offer, but he still gets to start most games.

Can't see anything other than Barca winning everything now, and I don't even know who I'd want to win the final. Utd are the lesser of the evils, but I don't think I can tolerate the media crap that'll happen if Utd win, it'll die quicker with Barca.


If there is one thing that I didn't like with Mourinho, it was not playing an actual striker, Benzema should have been in Ozil's place

 

[fredrik9]

You are responding to Fredrik?

Don't let the ban change you man. Don't feed the troll

Did you call me a troll?

 

[manutd fan]

Barca were also missing 2 key players that night so remains to be seen what their team in the final will look like but its probably grown stronger and more experienced. Barca's advantage could be that this time they could have a stronger back line and Dani Alves [who missed the final last time] along with a very deadly attack.

United will have to win the battle in midfield and for this you will need Fletcher and Carrick to be on their A game. Carrick for me has been pretty disappointing this season and Fletcher is injured at the moment right?

I like the idea of your line up with Rooney dropping back but i think SAF may have to deploy Scholes of Giggs in there and play Rooney where you have put Park. Another question for SAF would be, who does he start with, Anderson/Giggs/Scholes? to complete the 3 man mid with the aforementioned two.

Imo, Nani should start ahead of Valencia only because Valencia is a better impact player and he can come on and run at the LB [probably would be favorite against a right footed Adriano] There will be a lot of tactical battles to be won in this match, mainly the pressing bit and pressurizing each player on the ball. I saw United do this to good effect against Chelsea in the first half but in the second half they did it less but it was okay because Chelsea were pretty poor until Drogba came on.

If they do that all game long and man mark Messi then they have a chance, if not then its clearly going to be Barca's night in London.

I don't think Scholes will play. He's not mobile enough and is too reckless in the tackle. Seeing how Barceloan crowd the ref he'd be booked within no time and eventually sent off.

Fletcher has missed a lot of football recently, I think it's been atleast two months, but he should be back at the weekend against Arsenal.

I think Valencia will start ahead of Nani because he's much better defensively. Valencia started away to Chelsea and away to Shalke so that tells me that Fergie thinks that aswell.

I'd actually prefer to see Valencia and Nani as opposed to Park and Nani, because Valencia has to play. He'd be very important tactically.

If we have Rooney in midfield like he was against Chelsea then his match up with Xavi would be awesome.

 

[vpower]

I do feel i little bit sorry for Barcelonas fans, its not your fault this squad is full of divers, whiners, its not your fault the team gladly takes a 70/30 possession in front of its own goal, and its definatly not your fault the referee happens to - again - directly decide a huge tie in your favour. So keep in mind this is not directed to fans:

Holy. F_. Do I hate this generation of Barcelona.

And other than the fact that we are a growing number that cant stand it, I suppose you are not very sad at all, what with all the titles shipping your way. Atleast I hope you just laugh it of because again, I know most fans are good people and I dont want to direct my frustration towards you.

LOL, most Barca fans i've talked to seem absolutely delighted with the way their team is playing, couldnt be happier


seems you are just a little butthurt....

 

[fredrik9]

Villa >>>>>>>>>>> Ibra

Please return to the nearest Barca forum.

There are a few players who could touch the qualities of Ibra. Villa isn't one of them. Even Barca fans don't think so.

 

[Fiero]

What the fuck are you talking about ?
Your Barca hate is blinding you to a ridiculous point.
Cruyff played a totally different football than Guard.

Cruyff first came up with the idea of Barcelona's 4-3-3 in which they try to dominate possession, this was the philosophy of the club and at the time Guardiola was playing the Xavi role in midfield.

Then came Rijkaard and played the 4-3-3 as well but with some changes. Yet he was the one who gave players like Iniesta and Messi their first chance with the first team.

Then came Guardiola and added his touches as well. What I meant was that Barcelona have been playing this way for years, but with a slightly different tactical systems. Yet the idea was the same. Even Cruyff and Guardiola said so.

What made it easier for Guardiola is that even the youth teams practice the same style of play, and that's why it was easy for him to integrate many youth team players into the first team. That's why he was even hired for the first team in the first place, because he coached the youth and could continue the "Barca philosophy" and take Cruyff's then Rijkaard's method to the next level.

They're just updated versions. So in a way Guardiola reaped a little bit some rewards from Rijkaard's and Cruyff's teams, especially Rijkaard who many people credit for planting the seeds for the current Barcelona. While on the other hand Mourinho has had to create a new side from scratch that has been underachieving since forever, and just got thumped 5-0 by Barcelona not too long ago, yet he made them compete with Barca and even beat them in the cup final.

I'd like to see Guardiola with a different team. And I think Mourinho and his team don't get enough praise. Barcelona's team took years to build yet Mourinho and his Real proved to be more than a match for them.

 

[ezekiel2517]

LOL, most Barca fans i've talked to seem absolutely delighted with the way their team is playing, couldnt be happier


seems you are just a little butthurt....

Like how Printer fans were happy with their court won Scudetto?

 

[manutd fan]

@Utd fan: Don't you feel like Michael Carrick is just an incredibly lucky player? He doesn't add anything that any other CM can't offer, but he still gets to start most games.

Can't see anything other than Barca winning everything now, and I don't even know who I'd want to win the final. Utd are the lesser of the evils, but I don't think I can tolerate the media crap that'll happen if Utd win, it'll die quicker with Barca.

Carrick can offer us a lot when he get's space - his performances against Chelsea and Shalke have been great. He does have the habbit of hiding in big games though.

Not really sure what to make of him. All the players love playing with him though. Ferdinand and Vidic have said he's the most underated player in the league.

Problem aswell is that our other midfielders are too inconsistant. Scholes will kill you if he has space, but if he doesn't then he can be useless. Anderson has great drive but he's by far our most inconsistant player, Giggs can also be inconsistant and Gibson is average.

 

[Ash]

Last 3 clasicos = today's, copa del rey final, and the 1-1 in the league.

Take a deep breath. And next time try not to be so "attacking" in your posts. (Don't know if there's such an expression... I don't mean offensive, I mean you just basically attack the person you're talking to without a reason).

Correct me if I am wrong, but you said red in the last 3 classicos. When did anyone receive a red in the Copa Del Rey final?


Debatable. What could have happened without the red card has no way to be proven so why should we take it for a fact? Pepe has kept Messi in his pocket the last 3 games, so why not this one as well? 1 man down gave Barca the advantage, before that it was 1-0. These are the facts.

In the end it is all hypothetical. Do you know for certain that Pepe would be able to subdue Messi the entire game?. He had already created two goalscoring opportunities, so you cant say for certain that he wouldnt have scored had Pepe still been on the field. But I admit the red card did condition the game a little...


Real have Di Maria. Barcelona has Busquets, Mascherano, Pedro, Villa, etc...

As far as I recall, Mascherano and Villa werent diving. What are you trying to prove?

Deserve? Deserve as in football "tactically" has nothing to do with ethics. So taking the diving away... all I can say is that I saw Barcelona unable to beat the "new" Real Madrid unless they had a man down. In la liga game they only scored from a penalty and red card... in the cup final Madrid outplayed them tactically... and today it was 0-0 with both teams with 11 men on the pitch. Real had a man down, which was Pepe, who marked Messi out of the last two games. His red card changed the game...

eh? The cup final was a game of two halves and Madrid scored from one of the few chances they had in extra time. If it werent for Casillas (who kept them in the game) Barca would have gotten a couple of goals in.

The same could be said about counterattacking. These are just different systems of football. What bugs me is that people hail the tiki taka as if it is the right and only way to play football, while they look down on counterattacking as if it's not part of football and call Mourinho's tactics "anti football" and shit.

I am not disagreeing with Mourinho's style of football and why he chose to use it. It would have been utter foolishness to try to match Barca in their own game, and we have already seen what happens whey they remotely attempt to do that (5-0). I just prefer tiki taka more, and it's my own opinion.

.

 

[MilanMB]

Villa >>>>>>>>>>> Ibra

The thing with Ibra and Villa is that one of them is the better player, the other one can adapt better. Villa is well suited for Barca's play, because he's willing to take on a "passive" role. Just like Henry started playing second fiddle when he moved to Barca and thus wasn't as good as in Arsenal, the same will happen to Villa. You won't see him in the same form he was in Valencia again.

The problem with Ibra in Barca was that he demanded to much attention on the pitch, he wasn't willing to be Messi's nr2 and I respect him for that. He did in Barca just what he's doing in Milan now, taking control of the game.

Ibra's transfer to Barca is really a mystery, why buy a CF when you're planning to play Messi as one?

 

[Trillske]

LOL, most Barca fans i've talked to seem absolutely delighted with the way their team is playing, couldnt be happier

Nothing to do with my post. Im not really debating whether Barcelonas fans hates Barcelona or not.

seems you are just a little butthurt....

Lame.

But as for a respons, im no Real fan.
My eyes hurt a bit from Barcelonas performance this game, I suppose. Butt didnt.

 

[Andre]

Why does Guardiola allow his team to do this.

Doesnt he know its shameful for the game.

 

[Kalac#16]

Carrick can offer us a lot when he get's space - his performances against Chelsea and Shalke have been great. He does have the habbit of hiding in big games though.

Not really sure what to make of him. All the players love playing with him though. Ferdinand and Vidic have said he's the most underated player in the league.

Problem aswell is that our other midfielders are too inconsistant. Scholes will kill you if he has space, but if he doesn't then he can be useless. Anderson has great drive but he's by far our most inconsistant player, Giggs can also be inconsistant and Gibson is average.

Carrick shouldn't start, maybe even play Park central? He's hardly going to get out muscled