Soccer • Football • Voetbal • Futbol • Calcio 2011/2012

[embowafa]



this, and also, what was on display recently sorta was the plan B
playing 3 in the back
abidal not there (he's massive tactically, keeps the shape, doesnt get lost wondering forward like adriano, solid defender)
no predatory striker (villa has been out since the winter broken leg)
iniesta hsan't been the same since last year , quite sluggish
cesc drop in form
xavi has been carrying an achilles injury for over a year last season he was being given injections to continue playing
no Pique for 2 games, then he comes on but gets concussion early on (he was taken to hospital today)
tello is not very "barca-like" in that he has 0 assists, he is a bit like walcott.
messi very quiet last 3 games
not excusing barca's performances, but just keep in mind this hasn't been Pep's plan from the get-go. they'll be back next season assuming guardiola extends his contract. if not there are a few, namely Basiela who is pep's idol and mentor doing his thing at bilbao

Exactly right 100%. I still liked Tello more than Cuenca. He was a waste of space today.

The team just picked a bad week to finally run out of gas. Anyone who follows this team saw it coming.

 

[Burton]



I saw what Terry did. Bullshit red card.

Terry absolutely deserved the red card. The real question is how can anyone justify the fact that Lampard didn't get a red card? This is a very poor Chelsea team that really didn't deserve the win. Barca was very unlucky -- which is part of football. Who will be playing for Chelsea in the final - the U21s?

 

[DLester]



Terry absolutely deserved the red card.

I don't think what Terry did was necessarily worthy of a red card as it wasn't dangerous, just dumb, deliberate and cynical. The ref was within his rights to give the red card though, and Terry has no one to blame but himself for it.

This is a very poor Chelsea team that really didn't deserve the win.

Seriously? They beat Barcelona 1-0 at home then draw 2-2 at Camp Nou after going down to 10 men for 60 minutes, with no central defenders on the pitch. What did they have to do to "deserve the win?"

 

[idfnl]

Remarkable that Chelsea pulled that off. None of you monkeys took my $10 bet. I cannot believe they actually survived that onslaught with 10 men. One of the best ****** games I have ever seen.

Terry definitely deserved the red. He's an asshole.

Amazing how such a talented team like Barcelona for the last 30 mins looked lost and without ideas. A one trick pony. They looked exactly like the Barca of Inter a couple of seasons back. Sitting there passing the ball to the wing over and over again and never a cross, back to Xavi, again to the wing, back to Xavi... so predictable.

Gotta give Mireles, Lampard and Mikel credit for handling that space in front of the box so well.

Drogba deserves credit for his amazing power and prowess.

And Bosingwa... seriously... can you believe how well he defended?

For a team to lose BOTH center backs, away from home, and down to 10 men... truly astonishing.

The only game anything like this I have ever seen is when a 9 man Cameroon beat Brazil in the 2000 olympics in Sydney. That was an unbelievable game.

 

[the shah]

Terry absolutely deserved the red card.

I don't think what Terry did was necessarily worthy of a red card as it wasn't dangerous, just dumb, deliberate and cynical. The ref was within his rights to give the red card though, and Terry has no one to blame but himself for it.

at first he tried saying it was a twitch, an accidental raising of the knee along with sanchez creating the contact by backing into his raised knee
then he apologized after game. now they have to go to the final without captain terry, mereiles, ivanovic, and ramires.

also when kalou came on chelsea were effectively down to 9 men. that boy is damn near marsupialed. for what it's worth, i saw him play at the showdown in chinatown vs henry and steve nash and co. and the NBA's Barbosa was a better player than Kalou, also faster

Seriously? They beat Barcelona 1-0 at home then draw 2-2 at Camp Nou after going down to 10 men for 60 minutes, with no central defenders on the pitch. What did they have to do to "deserve the win?"

play football instead of coming up with the best optimization scheme for fitting 10-11 guys in a small area
(can't blame them, they acknowledged their inferiority and adjusted strategy accordingly -- this is war, after all)

 

[idfnl]



There is hilarity in this gif beyond words. Its just so... so perfect. Every face, the enlarged heads, the mourinho dance... and Marcello, and that Pepe grin, **** I cant stop laughing.

 

[DLester]



Exactly right 100%. I still liked Tello more than Cuenca. He was a waste of space today.
The team just picked a bad week to finally run out of gas. Anyone who follows this team saw it coming.

Barca are an amazing team, but there is no way they are going to win everything all the time. They had to hit a bad patch eventually. But there is no long term problem here, and I am sure they will be slaughtering opponents again before long.

I thought Cuenca was alright actually.

 

[Douglas]

Hi, I just came here to note that Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly the greatest manager in all of football.

 

[idfnl]



Hi, I just came here to note that Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly the greatest manager in all of football.

This then was made for you:

 

[Dashaansafin]



at first he tried saying it was a twitch, an accidental raising of the knee along with sanchez creating the contact by backing into his raised knee
then he apologized after game. now they have to go to the final without captain terry, mereiles, ivanovic, and ramires.
also when kalou came on chelsea were effectively down to 9 men. that boy is damn near marsupialed. for what it's worth, i saw him play at the showdown in chinatown vs henry and steve nash and co. and the NBA's Barbosa was a better player than Kalou, also faster
play football instead of coming up with the best optimization scheme for fitting 10-11 guys in a small area
(can't blame them, they acknowledged their inferiority and adjusted strategy accordingly -- this is war, after all)

They did "play football". There is more than one way to "play football". And not sure why people find the tika taka style interesting while lambasting Chelsea for playing D. Tiki taka is just possession...all of the time.

 

[Virginia Dandy]



don't think what Terry did was necessarily worthy of a red card as it wasn't dangerous, just dumb, deliberate and cynical. The ref was within his rights to give the red card though, and Terry has no one to blame but himself for it.

Terry is an over-rated idiot, no doubt, but who can be surprised at this point that the ref produced a red when given half a chance? The way he was cowed into booking Cech by the crowd was appalling.

Barca and their 1,000 sideways passes can f*ck off.

The hobbit did almost nothing against ten men other than miss a PK and cry.

 

[Texasmade]



play football instead of coming up with the best optimization scheme for fitting 10-11 guys in a small area
(can't blame them, they acknowledged their inferiority and adjusted strategy accordingly -- this is war, after all)

This is the main reason why I hate Barcelona fans. They act like the only way to play is their way and if you don't play tiki taka style then it's not true football.

YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!! The best way to play football is the way that suits your team best to get a result.

 

[El Argentino]



This is the main reason why I hate Barcelona fans. They act like the only way to play is their way and if you don't play tiki taka style then it's not true football.
YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!! The best way to play football is the way that suits your team best to get a result.

(for posterity) ^^^

Really - (and it usually is Barça fans) they can whine all they want about the "destruction of the beautiful game," but this could be the second time in 3 years that Mourinho parks the bus for a UCL title.

Results > beauty

 

[ehkay]

It's quite simple.

If Barca lose,

"Football is unjust sometimes," [Fabre***] told reporters after the game.

If Barca win,

"Our late goal was the luck of justice," said Laporta.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/may/08/barcelona-chelsea-joan-laporta-reaction

 

[Cardigan Brah]

Let's all point and laugh at Barcelona.