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

[Infrasonic]

Gotta love some of the Barca arguments here

Yes they are a great side, with no alternative way of playing and a well dodgy back four and goalie.
Changing the defence a bit makes bugger all difference once they are in the final third of the oppositions turf.

Compare and contrast with any premiership team on a good day, where there is variety of player and playing style according to the circumstances.
Look at Chelsea when JM first took over. 0-0 at half time? OK, change tactics, make some subs. Win three or four nil. Opposition putting five across the middle of the park as a spoiler? OK, put a big man up front and hoof it to him. Not pretty, but it gets goals. Objective achieved.

The reason Barca have been so successful is because other sides don't want to bite the bullet and do what is necessary to win the game. Ego and pride takes over, they push forward, leave gaps and get hammered when they lose possession (which is the bit Barca are really good at). Plus all the fans and critics moan if you don't take them on, so peer pressure loses you the game.

There was a reason JM went all those years across several clubs undefeated at home, solid defence as a cornerstone principle. Not the most attractive footy to watch though which is why I don't think Utd will go after him when SAF retires.

 

[Sir Humphrey Appleby]



Gotta love some of the Barca arguments here
Yes they are a great side, with no alternative way of playing and a well dodgy back four and goalie.
Changing the defence a bit makes bugger all difference once they are in the final third of the oppositions turf.
Compare and contrast with any premiership team on a good day, where there is variety of player and playing style according to the circumstances.
Look at Chelsea when JM first took over. 0-0 at half time? OK, change tactics, make some subs. Win three or four nil. Opposition putting five across the middle of the park as a spoiler? OK, put a big man up front and hoof it to him. Not pretty, but it gets goals. Objective achieved.
The reason Barca have been so successful is because other sides don't want to bite the bullet and do what is necessary to win the game. Ego and pride takes over, they push forward, leave gaps and get hammered when they lose possession (which is the bit Barca are really good at). Plus all the fans and critics moan if you don't take them on, so peer pressure loses you the game.
There was a reason JM went all those years across several clubs undefeated at home, solid defence as a cornerstone principle. Not the most attractive footy to watch though which is why I don't think Utd will go after him when SAF retires.

Do they though? Playing attacking football leaves the defence exposed, which makes them vulnerable to more attacks. You could put the AC Milan defence of the early 90s there but if they had no cover or help they'd look weak.

 

[Sir Humphrey Appleby]



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.

Too many people think that the job of a neutral club's manager is to entertain them. It isn't.

 

[Sir Humphrey Appleby]



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?

They did deserve the win, they stopped Barcelona completely with ten men. Very impressive.

 

[culverwood]

KARMA

Even the ref could not help them this time.

 

[Infrasonic]

Just seen a classic gag.

JT getting sent off was a deliberate ploy to get the Barca players worried that he might be trying to shag their wives/girlfriends ...with him being suspended for the final it will be even worse for the opposition players...

 

[fritzl]



^^Yeah, I'm all for Chelsea knocking of Barcelona, ..

revenge for milan. thanks chelsea

 

[Burton]



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.
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?"

Luck is huge part of football and this statement ^^ improprely discounts the effect of luck. Chelsea were lucky - go watch the game again if you don't believe it-but that is a part of the game. That said, Terry and Lampard are the poor side of English football (I am a huge fan of the English game). It would be one thing if Terry lashed out, in the heat of the moment, against a player who fouled him, but, no, that isn't what he did at all. He sneaked up behind a player and kneed him in the back. If that isn't a red card than they are playing with the wrong ball. Terry's move shows he is a coward. Thankfully it was seen.

 

[Infrasonic]



Luck is huge part of football and this statement ^^ improprely discounts the effect of luck. Chelsea were lucky - go watch the game again if you don't believe it-but that is a part of the game. That said, Terry and Lampard are the poor side of English football (I am a huge fan of the English game). It would be one thing if Terry lashed out, in the heat of the moment, against a player who fouled him, but, no, that isn't what he did at all. He sneaked up behind a player and kneed him in the back. If that isn't a red card than they are playing with the wrong ball. Terry's move shows he is a coward. Thankfully it was seen.

Hmmm, the problem with this theory is that if you look at the results over the years between the two teams, then it is pretty even. That's tactics. Luck plays a part in all of life, but it's very easy to over quantify it.
Has Warren Buffett just been lucky for fifty years or is he actually a smart mofo who minimises his downside risk?

 

[robinsongreen68]

yeah just dont understand this stuff about 'chelsea didn't deserve to win'. they are very very good at getting 8 or 9 men back behind the ball when they need to, and also efficient at hitting on the counter. with the penalty area that congested, even barca couldn't find a way through, and it exposed their lack of a plan B- they don't shoot from distance, and would often play it wide, as if guys like ivanovic couldn't cut out crosses all day. Ibrahimovic was supposed to be big man who could give them another option, but he didn't work out.
it reminded me very much of the formula that pre- AVB chelsea always used to beat Arsenal in the premiership, and i think that was one of the reasons wenger started to look for bigger more physical strikers.

 

[Douglas]

Terry just heard that the team wives were doing a tour of the locker rooms right before halftime and he didn't want to miss the opportunity to meet them.

 

[Cardigan Brah]

^ Ba dum tsss

 

[fritzl]



I think Bayern can pull it off.

chances aren't bad.

they did some shoe shopping...

 

[fritzl]



Terry just heard that the team wives were doing a tour of the locker rooms right before halftime and he didn't want to miss the opportunity to meet them.

he did risk the life of his twins. his boss is a godfather.

 

[Burton]



chances aren't bad.

they did some shoe shopping...

Classic picture!