Champions League 2013-14 (14 Viewers)

[washingcattle]

Yet another vintage Barca performance, slow, "patient" build up resulting in one shot on target from 25 yards. Christ it's boring as fuck to watch. The sooner they're out the better. What happened Fabregas ? remember when he used to go at people and try to make things happen ? He's turned into a shite Xavi now Mascherano passed it forward more than him.

Christ I can't stand them.

 

[washingcattle]

Yet another vintage Barca performance, slow, "patient" build up resulting in one shot on target from 25 yards. Christ it's boring as fuck to watch. The sooner they're out the better. What happened Fabregas ? remember when he used to go at people and try to make things happen ? He's turned into a shite Xavi now Mascherano passed it forward more than him.

Christ I can't stand them.

 

[washingcattle]

Yet another vintage Barca performance, slow, "patient" build up resulting in one shot on target from 25 yards. Christ it's boring as fuck to watch. The sooner they're out the better. What happened Fabregas ? remember when he used to go at people and try to make things happen ? He's turned into a shite Xavi now Mascherano passed it forward more than him.

Christ I can't stand them.

 

[washingcattle]

Triple post and the fucking game is over.

I fucking hate them so fucking much.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Fucking Demichelis.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

 

[washingcattle]

Fucking Demichelis.

Stupid decision, make Hart stay on his feet and you're always in with a chance of making up the ground in that situation.

I don't know why teams in this position don't go to 3-4-2 or 3-5-1 and go for it.

 

[washingcattle]

FUCK.

You'd have to say there was fuck all between the teams there. 20 odd players who were exactly as goood as each other and then Demichelis who has had yet another shocker. Before he went off he gave the ball away or 6 times really cheaply. Lescott has his flaws but pace isn't one of them I can't for the life of me see what Peligrini sees in Demichelis.

City made the best chances second half. They're either desperately unlucky or stupidly niave to be in the situation they are now.

Also I really don't know why teams don't go 3 at the back against Barca, they refuse to play with strikers, Xavi and Busquettes don't join the attack it's just a case of a back 4 marking space while they find space in the middle.


Kompany, Toure, Zabaletta and Fernandinho should all go and beat the shite out of Demichelis.

 

[Unicron]

Terrific second goal. Who was it that put in the nothing tackle on Alves just before?

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Missed the second goal - phone rang

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Possibly obvious but if Barcelona score first in the return leg then City's task becomes harder.

They really have to go for it. Hopefully Aguero will be back.

 

[washingcattle]

Apparently Barcelona are preparing their appeal of Martin Demichelis' red card as we speak.

From BBC.

 

[Bladez]

Excellent performance from Barca tonight. I think City should have gone at them more in the first half. Instead they sat off and let Barca control the tempo. I don't think they have the players to play that game and they're just not used to it. The opening was going to come. It was just a matter of time.

Demichelis looked poor alright. And Lescott just isn't good enough to play at that level. They do need some other options in that position.

One thing great to watch tonight was Barca's closing down out of possession. It was crazy how few options they gave the man on the ball. They just smothered City.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Lescott is fading. Needs to be replaced at season end. The aggressive back pass was bad.

 

[washingcattle]

Excellent performance from Barca tonight. I think City should have gone at them more in the first half. Instead they sat off and let Barca control the tempo. I don't think they have the players to play that game and they're just not used to it. The opening was going to come. It was just a matter of time.

Demichelis looked poor alright. And Lescott just isn't good enough to play at that level. They do need some other options in that position.

One thing great to watch tonight was Barca's closing down out of possession. It was crazy how few options they gave the man on the ball. They just smothered City.

You watched a different match from me.

City were well drilled, allowed Barca space in areas where they couldn't hurt them and tracked the runs from midfield brilliantly all night until exhaustion got the better of them. Barca were a shadow of their former selves, no guile, no ambition, no width, no fucking strikers. I said earlier that I don't see why anyone would play a back 4 against them, they only attack through the middle and if you have someone tracking Alba and Alves they never get down the flanks. They refuse to cross the ball because they've no fucking strikers. It's so fucking boring to watch. 4 shots on target against 10 men? Why are people still lauding this club? I just do not understand it.


City looked like scoring every time they came forward in the first half, Barca didn't look interested in doing anything except stroking the ball around as lethargically as possibly until the red card.

Even after the red card City made the better chances.


The sooner they're out the better.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Lescott is fading. Needs to be replaced at season end. The aggressive back pass was bad.

Fading?!

 

[washingcattle]

Fading?!

I assume he means physically. Career wise the lad is invisible.

 

[Cormcolash]

I agree that the current Barca team is pretty fucking boring now. I mean, they're not even playing like the team of 4 years ago now - there's no urgency going forward, no movement up front, no real guile for the most part. They had so many chances to go forward with passes where a bit of quick movement might take them towards goal, and instead almost every one of those went sideways, until Iniesta played that one good ball to Messi. Old Barca would be pushing forward with those passes, and winning it back straight away if they lost it.
They did defend well tonight though, better than usual anyway, at least Pique and Mascherano look like they give a shit. Pique had a very good game really. But yeah, it's boring now, the urgency is all gone, they look pedestrian. Who gives a shit if you can hold on to the ball, if you never really try to go forward with it? You're not gonna score from the half-way line.
Man City basically let Barca beat them, by not pushing on to them and getting physical. If they'd challenged harder for the ball they could well have got something there.

 

[washingcattle]

I agree that the current Barca team is pretty fucking boring now. I mean, they're not even playing like the team of 4 years ago now - there's no urgency going forward, no movement up front, no real guile for the most part. They had so many chances to go forward with passes where a bit of quick movement might take them towards goal, and instead almost every one of those went sideways, until Iniesta played that one good ball to Messi. Old Barca would be pushing forward with those passes, and winning it back straight away if they lost it.
They did defend well tonight though, better than usual anyway, at least Pique and Mascherano look like they give a shit. Pique had a very good game really. But yeah, it's boring now, the urgency is all gone, they look pedestrian. Who gives a shit if you can hold on to the ball, if you never really try to go forward with it? You're not gonna score from the half-way line.
Man City basically let Barca beat them, by not pushing on to them and getting physical. If they'd challenged harder for the ball they could well have got something there.

I think City had a plan to let Barca have it 30 - 40 yards out and then hit them on the break when they committed men forward, the only problem was that Barca just got to 30 yards out and went no further. It's very hard to win the ball if the opposition doesn't want to attack you. Teams have a plan to beat Barca which is based on Barca trying to win. i.e press them, be compact track the movement from midfield and when they over commit hit them quickly. None of that happened because time and again Barca where in two banks of 4 40 yards out from goal with no spear head at the front of their attack and no ambition to go forward, so when City tried to press them and get forward Barca just retreated. They managed 1 shot on target in the first hour. 1 Fucking shot !! that was Xavi and it was from 25 fucking yards!

City gave them too much respect and didn't pass it well enough in the first half but they still made chances. Then Demichelis shot them in the back by leaving Messi alone. I just still can't wrap my head around why play 4 at the back against a side who don't play any strikers and then leave the "best player in the world" un-fucking-marked. either Demichelis or Kompany should have been told one thing and one thing only - as soon as he passes a mark about 30 yards from goal you do not leave his side, you stay touch tight. Fuck the formation, it won't matter because he won't isolate himself for the good of the team the way David Villa used to, eventually he'll drop off into midfield in order to get the ball and the further you push him back the less he can hurt you. It's what Milan did last year and it worked (in the first leg) when Mexes and Muntari got touch tight to him and took responsibility for tracking (and kicking) him.


Fuck it. It's over now. Hopefully someone at PSG taught Lavezzi how offside works so that they can draw them next and hammer them properly.

 

[Bladez]

I think they were quite happy to control a slow tempo first half. They didn't want to go right at City and get involved in a frantic end to end game that would have suited City's counter attacking plan better. I don't remember all that many chances for City in the first half. That Negredo effort from a tight angle was their best I think.

But, yeah. The game was hardly exciting as a result.