De lads (1 Viewer)

[Moods For Mallards]

The game, I fear, has passed Gilesy by, what he was saying about Barca not defending because their defence plays such a high line vs. Inter "defending properly" during the Champion's League semi-final was actually sort of sad to hear.

Dunphy, a wanker when I started watching football, and a wanker now. When Inter played United last season and he was previewing the Inter side his assessment of Maicon, regarded as one of the best players in the world in his position for at least 3 years was "well, he's Brazilian." Cut to this season, "brilliant player Bill, brilliant." He's a fucking charlatan.

John is the senior analyst, Unicron. At the end of the day, what he says is final.

 

[Unicron]

John is the senior analyst, Unicron. At the end of the day, what he says is final.

Fair enough Moods For Mallards. I'd like to know how John thinks that Barca could play such a high tempo pressing game if their centre backs sat on the edge of the area though.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

Fair enough Moods For Mallards. I'd like to know how John thinks that Barca could play such a high tempo pressing game if their centre backs sat on the edge of the area though.

Sounds suspiciously like you're suggesting that they use tactics, which, as we know, none of the great teams use.

 

[avernus]

"I don't go along with this 'tired', Bill."

 

[Unicron]

Sounds suspiciously like you're suggesting that they use tactics, which, as we know, none of the great teams use.

But what is "great" though Bill?

 

[Moods For Mallards]

The great German teams, the great Italian teams.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

Bobby Charlton.

 

[Unicron]

But not Riquelme.

 

[ratmonkey]

Riquelme. World class, but not great.

 

[Cormcolash]

Here like, who cares if they're spas? It's the mentalness that makes them so good. The ridiculous arguments they have. Dunphy adamant that everything is shit. Gilesy casting doubt on everyone's honesty. All this stuff is what makes it brilliant. The post match Inter-Barca review was fucking hilarious for this exact reason. Best part of that match actually. Giles and Dunphy for Taoiseach and President, fuck the haters!

 

[Cormcolash]

Ah, it appears my post is a bit late...

 

[Unicron]

Riquelme. World class, but not great.

Actually I must concede that he was right about Riquelme. Very good player but at the time playing in Angentina and Villarreal sides that were set up exactly to suit his game.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

Riquelme made Argentina play too narrow. He was the reason they lost to Brazil in the Copa America final a couple of years ago, in my opinion. They were ridiculously tied to getting the ball to him in a central position where he could then try to pick out through balls. Brazil compressed the space and snuffed him out, knowing Argentina would never go wide.
A great player when the opposition isn't top notch but the way he plays makes him a bad man to be your fulcrum. Pity for him is that it's the only way he can operate in a team.

 

[washingcattle]

The game, I fear, has passed Gilesy by, what he was saying about Barca not defending because their defence plays such a high line vs. Inter "defending properly" during the Champion's League semi-final was actually sort of sad to hear.

Dunphy, a wanker when I started watching football, and a wanker now. When Inter played United last season and he was previewing the Inter side his assessment of Maicon, regarded as one of the best players in the world in his position for at least 3 years was "well, he's Brazilian." Cut to this season, "brilliant player Bill, brilliant." He's a fucking charlatan.

Are you really claiming that Barca defended well during that match ?

 

[Unicron]

Are you really claiming that Barca defended well during that match ?

I'm saying that Barcalona conceeded 24 goals in the league last season which, one game against a very good Inter side apart, suggests that playing and defending in that manner might have some merit as part of their overall tactics. And in case you say la liga is like the SPL but on the med Dundee United didn't have David Villa playing for them last year.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

I think the thing is that they defend by aggressively seeking possession, which they then maintain. That is actually the way they play and it's been very successful for them. They don't defend well at all in the traditional sense, apart from having a good goalkeeper (this season anyway). It's probably not possible to do both, and that's a decision Guardiola has taken.
Clearly, they were caught out against Inter but Inter themselves didn't win the Champions League the season before so being defensively solid is not the magic solution.
Amazing how the lads can gloss over inconvenient facts like Barcelona winning all around them. They talk about them as if they're an up-and-coming unproven outfit.

 

[washingcattle]

Nonsense, they sang Barcas praises constantly for the way they go forward and maintain possesion, have done for the last two years they can only comment on what's in front of them and Barcas defense that night in question was an absolute shambles actually Barcas defense has been a shambles for years would you have your side go out and buy Pique, Marquez or fucking Puyol ? I wouldn't and we've got Joseph fucking Yobo.

You're picking an example of how Gilsey got it wrong and your example is Barca's defense ?

Seriously you can do better.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

Nonsense, they sang Barcas praises constantly for the way they go forward and maintain possesion, have done for the last two years they can only comment on what's in front of them and Barcas defense that night in question was an absolute shambles actually Barcas defense has been a shambles for years would you have your side go out and buy Pique, Marquez or fucking Puyol ? I wouldn't and we've got Joseph fucking Yobo.

You're picking an example of how Gilsey got it wrong and your example is Barca's defense ?

Seriously you can do better.

I don't think they sing Barca's praises at all. They see them as a product of hype. Dunphy went through their starting line-up for the second leg against Arsenal and in his opinion, only Xavi and Messi were good players. Seriously.
They also completely miss the point about Barcelona's approach. They have more of the ball than possibly any other top-level team in the last 20 years. They keep the ball brilliantly. In this way, the other team cannot score. This, in itself, fulfills a defensive requirement.
They cursorily praise them for being good going forward, show some stupid clips of Messi and then tear them apart for being defensively poor. They do this for every game.

Their big problem this season, to my mind, and remember it's a relative case, was that the forward line became too dependent on Messi in the absence of Eto'o and a good Henry. And now they've bought David Villa. Not a bad solution.

And Puyol and Pique are fantastic players! No Johnny Heitingas but still the biz.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

Oh and it wasn't me who picked that example. But here I am defending it in some way.

 

[washingcattle]

Yeah why is that?


Keeping the ball is not defending. No one can hold onto the ball for 90 minutes, rarely do you ever see a team go even half an hour without conceding a corner or a free kick in a dangerous position when pushed to it Barca are poor at the back, disorganised and lacking leadership and piss poor in the air. Next you'll be telling me how Ibrahimovic is better than Eto and that switch was a master stroke. Dunphy was right about some of what he said about Barca. Villa will make a difference Xavi, Messi, Ineasta all top quality but Busquets, Puyol, Pique and Ibrahimovic are fucking donkeys and Dunphy, Giles whoever should be pointing it out.