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derek1872

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Posts posted by derek1872

  1. Some peoples inability to debate a point without resorting to tabloid-style childish sensationalism is staggering at times!

    Back OT,

    I would say it is a bit early to contemplate if this is the beginning of the end (just as it was far too premature to hail them as the best ever!).

    I would say only Xavi & Puyol are in the twilight years of their careers while most of the others are still to reach their 'peak' years...they could, of course, already have peaked in terms of ability but I just mean quite a few of their squad still have to play through 27-29 years, where traditionally players will be at their best. Valdes, Alba, Pique, Busquets, Fabregas, Iniesta, Pedro, Messi will still form the backbone of this team over the next 3-5 years, all of whom have achieved at the highest levels in either club or international football (and sometimes at both!).

    There are certainly questions being asked of them, very similar questions have been asked before and the response has been emphatic (the defeat in semi to Inter, followed by their demolition of Man U in the next years final!).

    I think it is important to consider this year was always going to be difficult to see how they adapted without Pep, I felt they started the season promisingly but now they are also having to deal with the fact Tito is away getting treatment for cancer and effectively a guy who was a scout (?) last season is the main man in the dugout!

    However that is not their only problem, far from it, and while is hard to fully quantify the mental impact of all of that there are genuine problems with how they are playing their football (and is something that has been bubbling since even before Pep left).

    I think they have become a bit thrawn in how they play. A bit too much tippy tappy stuff! I love their ability to hold possession, to keep the ball moving and find passes in tight spaces. For me, however, Barca, at their best, know when to slow it down and when it to move it at pace. They were constantly moving (both the ball and players interchanging positions), pulling people about and exploiting space and, often, at devastating pace. Now, at times, they seem happy to just knock it about and allow the opposition to set a wall in front of them. It is very difficult to pass through 8 or 9 players!

    In addition their defence has always been suspect, but they used to nullify this by tremendous workrate to harry the opposition and get the ball back as quickly as possible. I don’t see the same intensity about their work now.

    People talk about having no plan B…I think they are simply failing to exercise plan A! Do what they do but with more pace, width & intensity and I still think they are the best team out there. Whether they can find that before Saturday or the Milan game is another matter!

    As a start;

    I would not play both Iniesta and Fabregas…it is stifling both and, for me, if it’s one it is Iniesta!

    David Villa should start. Offers a goal threat and a penalty box instinct to supplement Messi.

    Also need a winger who will hit bye-lines. I generally like Pedro but he comes inside at every single opportunity (has done for a while), making it easy to defend as you know what he is going to do. Maybe try the young guy Tello, he seems direct and pacy.

    Jordi Alba seemed to be the only player willing to get to the bye-line last night, generally you may see Alves doing likewise although I think he was more concerned with Ronaldo...have to say I thought Alves played one of his better games against him, of course Ronaldo did score twice but both came when he was breaking from the right wing position as opposed to being against Alves.

    Aye!

  2. nothing far fetched at all.

    nothing far fetched at all.

    Ronaldo has never hid his love for united or Ferguson. He had his most successful time there. Madrid are clearly interested in bale and have the money. I don't think both players would play in the same team. If anything this is a likely scenario.

  3. Come on the whole open line on clyde last night was taken up with the songs that Rangers sing where as the riot at Dens a couple of months ago was only mentioned in passing

    Why do certain individuals try to change history to suit themselves? It's a load of bollocks that the dens park incident got less coverage. It was everywhere at the time.

  4. as an RM spokesperson, you are not setting a very good example with remarks would be best suited in the Mhanks forums, if you don't give a fuck, don't reply, if you don't give a fuck, you are in no way obligated to reply.

    Just out of interest...Why would you not give a fuck?

    Im trying to read between the lines and could be wrong but are you suggesting he doesn't give a Fuck?

  5. It has to be a one way street for everyone in this country.

    St mirren/dundee utd/hibs/hearts in fact every club have sung inappropriate songs at Ibrox. Not mentioned in the press. Clubs fans supporting terrorism, fighting in the stands, hitting oaps on the way out of the game. Hardly mentioned in the press. 200/300 pissed up teenagers sing a couple of dodgy songs and the countrys in up roar. Its disgusting.

    There was microphones stratigically placed yesterday. Paranoid or not, it was too clear on tele for them not to be.

    Most of the songs sang yesterday have been sang most of the season without mention (rightly or wrongly),all of a sudden, a random visit from a celtic media employee with previous against us and we have every outlet talking about sectarian singing. Espn are apologising to viewers, reporting it to police.

    Na something stinks here. And ita not the stench of the visiters looking in.

    Don't forget it's a small stadium so no doubt almost everything will be picked up on TV. It was always the same when we played in the cup away from home. In fact if you watch an FA cup game involving and EPL side traveling to a league 2 or non league team you can hear everything then too.

    I don't disagree that something seems a wee bit fishy and as usual certain people are looking for a story but we need to try not give them a story. It's obvious now that we will get hammered every time something like this happens so we need to try and avoid it at all costs.

  6. It was quietly mentioned and quickly forgotten about, which seems to be par for the course for incidents involving Celtic fans. There's a lack of balance in the media when it comes to reports about our club and its fans when compared to other clubs. Maybe you don't see it that way, though.

    I'm not saying that at times the media in Scotland does seem to hammer us, however the points you are making simply aren't true. It wasn't quickly forgotten it was breaking news on SSN, I don't think yesterdays signing was. I can understand peoples frustration but you can't just change things to make it sound better for us or worse for them. Deal in facts! The fact is they had fans that acted like cunts, it did get reported and was all over the press, why say it wasn't?

  7. Yesterday's singing was reported on the telly (it made the BBC news) and was debated ad nauseam on the radio as well as making the papers. By way of contrast, the much more serious misconduct of Septic fans at Dens Park was given comparatively little attention by the media.

    The arseholes at Dens park was breaking news on SSN at the time. I don't listen to any of the radio phone ins but I'm sure it was on there too.

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