papaguy51 912 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 My only 'issue' would be that the very very best teams tend to have a plan B.Barcelona do not seem to have that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR_54 15 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 I don't think they'll sign Torres...Barca said they were looking to keep Ibra.Villa, Ibra, Pedro, Messi, Bojan is plentiful. If they take Torres too then, IMO, they would be making a risk, as there isn't a chance of keeping everyone happy, and everyone there will be looking for a first team slot.If they get rid of Ibra (i'm assuming Henry is for the off too) then fair enough.As an aside, i hope Chelsea get Yaya i think he is a cracking player, however don't really know if we need him, what with Essien and Mikel, and Ballack who will be dropping deeper and deeper in midfield as he ages. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappa 24 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Toure is better than Mikel and Ballack. Ballack is miles past his best. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR_54 15 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Toure is better than Mikel and Ballack. Ballack is miles past his best.Agree, but they aren't players who are going to be wanting to sit on the bench all season...And i can't see Mikel leaving and i think Ballack will sign on for another year or two. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappa 24 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Personally I reckon that Ballack's played his last game for Chelsea. Mikel will just have to be happy playing second fiddle to Michael Essien and Yaya Toure. Two of the best CDM's in world football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR_54 15 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 My only 'issue' would be that the very very best teams tend to have a plan B.Barcelona do not seem to have that.To be fair though, how often have they needed one? Against Inter they were unlucky; they battered them pillar to post at Camp Nou, and Inter were fortunate to go through.Now now, they weren't at all unlucky. Cesar had to make very few saves!They were just stifled by a great defensive performance, and required a plan B, which they never had.Nothing lucky about it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR_54 15 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 My only 'issue' would be that the very very best teams tend to have a plan B.Barcelona do not seem to have that.To be fair though, how often have they needed one? Against Inter they were unlucky; they battered them pillar to post at Camp Nou, and Inter were fortunate to go through.Now now, they weren't at all unlucky. Cesar had to make very few saves!They were just stifled by a great defensive performance, and required a plan B, which they never had.Nothing lucky about it.They were clinging on for dear life at the end, and had Bojan's perfectly legitimate goal stood, they would be in Saturday's final.I don't see how a handball, accidental or not, which sets up a goal is perfectly legitimate? Anyway that isn't the point, Inter were hanging on for dear life in the way of having to intercept passes in and around the edge of their box, yes...But very very rarely did Barca manage to break down their defence and have a decent attempt at goal which really tested Cesar.They didn't ever look like they could pass it through the defence, and that's where they needed a plan B, a more physical approach where they would throw everything at Inter from set pieces and long punts forward, but they couldn't do it as they only know how to play one way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappa 24 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 If Barca's plan B was a phsyical approach, who's to say that would have beaten Inter? Lucio and Samuel shat on Drogba, so they'd do the same to Barcelona. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR_54 15 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 If Barca's plan B was a phsyical approach, who's to say that would have beaten Inter? Lucio and Samuel shat on Drogba, so they'd do the same to Barcelona.But Chelsea to a man were pish against Inter, we barely created a chance let alone had Inter pinned in their own half the whole game.We are discussing Barcelona here as possibly the "best ever", with a man advantage against a team they were expected to overcome, pinning them back in their own 18 yard box for most of the second half. Surely common sense prevails and they should at least try to take the game to Inter in an alternative way. When it was clear their usually so effective total football method wasn't working!? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SandyIniesta-Nordahl Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Barcelona will not sign Torres. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaguy51 912 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 If Barca's plan B was a phsyical approach, who's to say that would have beaten Inter? Lucio and Samuel shat on Drogba, so they'd do the same to Barcelona.Perhaps a physical approach wouldn't have been needed, but they continued to try and walk the ball into the net.The amount of times that Xavi and Messi found themselves with a second on the edge of the box and opted for a fancy pass instead of a shot was particularly annoying.As has been said up there, people keep saying that Barca battered Inter, but Julio Cesar had very little to do over the two legs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu1993 101 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 IMO I think after the team have left Barca then thats when they will be rated at the highest, i think people seem to criticise great teams because they are still playing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac444 6 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 What a team and what a manager.The official top 4 players in the world are; Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi and Iniesta. Barcelona have 3 of them!A very good GK in Voctor Valdes, the second best RB in the world (Maicon before Alves IMO), one of the best young CB's in the world, the warrior that is Carles Puyol, the best passer of the ball in world football, the creatve genius of Iniesta, the best player in the world, one of the most lethal finishers in world football and the talented Pedro Rodriguez.The only real weakness in their side is at LB IMO. Abidal is 30 now and although Maxwell has had a very good first season at Barcelona I don't think he is that great defensively.You got this list handy, mate?I'm going by the official Ballon d'Or list of 2009.1. Messi2. Ronaldo3. Xavi4. Iniesta5. Eto'o6. Kaka7. Ibrahimovic8. Rooney9. Drogba10. GerrardSorry to be pedantic but the Balon d'Or is European player of the year rather than world Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu1993 101 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 i find it funny that the first 7 in that list play outwith england, yet its still hyped up to be the best league in the world ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatPirateHooker 141 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 They definately aren't as good as they were, Pep made a HUGE mistake getting rid of Eto'o, and replacing him with Ibra.Record points tally in La Liga, most goals scored ever....the theory that Ibrahimovic has flopped is a fallacy. He's scored something like 14 La Liga goals, despite starting many matches on the bench, and in fact ranked 2nd in the Barcelona player of the year, ahead of Xavi and Iniesta, as voted for by the fans. give him another year and Camp Nou, and watch his consistency increase as he settles down. There's a lot of pressure being Barcelona's record signing.Statistics as always are what you make of them. With Eto'o Barcelona were pretty much unbeatable, and won every tournament available to them, in Guardiolas first season. Without Eto'o and with Ibra they missed out on the Spanish Cup and Champions League, and the gap in the league was reduced.The gap in the league was reduced becuase Real spent over 200 million Over 200 million and they still got beat by Barca twice! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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