Madrid look a team in their prime or in the right "condition". Barcelona looked stale. They lacked a certain intensity and verve to their game. Also, they were shocking defensively. I'm not sure how pique still gets a game for them.
La Liga - 2014/15
- Thread starter jojojo
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Watching this and knowing what we'll serve up tomorrow makes me sad.
@Cait Sith : You were saying what Barca and Real's balance already ? The score was predictable, it could have been much worse if Real didn't feck up so many of their counter attacks. Barca's midfield was outrunned.
I'll never understand the lack of urgency from Barca players when they were trailing 3-1, those feckers were basically jogging around.
I'll never understand the lack of urgency from Barca players when they were trailing 3-1, those feckers were basically jogging around.
92% pass acuracy by Pepe tonight 
Imagine being happy about selling Fabregas and buying Rakitic 
Great performance from Real. If anything, the scoreline flatters Barca considering Real definitely should have done better with the final ball.
Enjoyed that once I found a decent stream.
I had a good picture but some annoying Geordie commentating for Yank tv.
"It's as prickly as a porcupine's backside." "He's as slippery as an eel covered in Vaseline."
I'd hunt him down and kill him, if that was my only means of watching the Prem.
I had a good picture but some annoying Geordie commentating for Yank tv.
"It's as prickly as a porcupine's backside." "He's as slippery as an eel covered in Vaseline."
I'd hunt him down and kill him, if that was my only means of watching the Prem.
Would make sense if Cesc wasn't poor against Real Madrid almost every time he played them in a Barcelona shirt...Imagine being happy about selling Fabregas and buying Rakitic
One thing that made barca of old in a different class was messi being able to pick the ball up, beat two or three players and bring the game alive. They're lacking that right now. While he's been amazing this season this different role/style robs them of that player who could just "accelerate" things.
today luis enrique's lack of knowledge has been exposed
Scholesy was right about Modric all along.
Also, I think Barca will have to replace Rakitic pretty soon, he's good, but not at the level they need him to be.
Also, I think Barca will have to replace Rakitic pretty soon, he's good, but not at the level they need him to be.
Maybe playing the intense pressing game for so many years has taken its toll. Maybe they can't do it anymore. Look at Messi, he's almost standing in one place when they lose the ball. Never seen him so bad defensively.
Also having other players who made runs and created movement (Pedro at his best, Villa, Eto'o, Henry). Now they're all just waiting for him and nobody moves.
But I've seen nothing from Rakitic to suggest he's some sort of massive improvement on Cesc
Barca did well by signing Suarez. Messi just isnt the player so it was vital for them to pick up a superstar who can carry some of the load in attack.4
Barca are starting to accumulate a fair bit of dead wood in their squad.
I don't think Barca will ever be at their best if they continue the same style of football without manager who is actually excellent at what he does, and not someone who is there just because he is familiar with the club. Luis Enrique failed at Roma ffs, and yet there he is pretending he is Guardiola next to the touchline.
He's a different type of player, poor tonight (no more so than Cesc against Real Madrid) but he's been pretty important for them with his tracking back defensively that Cesc can't do. Better fit for the team overall, but neither are as good as a peak Xavi which is what they need.
But no one is going to replace peak Xavi. They should have kept Fabregas and just changed their style.
Having Neymar, Messi and Suarez do so little defensive work is also suicide. A game of this magnitude requires everyone to work hard.
They won't, but they're arrogant as hell, which is what makes these games enjoyable. You just wonder how much they can take before they finally reappear out their own collective arse.
We are:
1- slow/no urgency/bored.. I really don't know what to call it. It's been the case since last season !!
2- Lucho is not the best in tactics during the game , for example subbing Suarez killed any hope of a comeback.
Thank God it was just three !!. Congrats Madrid, great play from all 11 players !
1- slow/no urgency/bored.. I really don't know what to call it. It's been the case since last season !!
2- Lucho is not the best in tactics during the game , for example subbing Suarez killed any hope of a comeback.
Thank God it was just three !!. Congrats Madrid, great play from all 11 players !
Why though? He underperformed every season he was there, how many more seasons should he get before enough is enough?
Remains to be seen if Rakitić will be good enough but Cesc being great for Chelsea doesn't mean he would have come good for Barcelona. He suits England much better.
first of all, what the hell does that have to do with anything?
but answering your question: No, in fact, Scolari was nationally trashed for not playing on the break with 3 CMs, instead he put in Bernard and went all gung-ho style attacking against a much better side. We still would've lost, but it would be a much more respectable scoreline
Great to see Negredo back on the bench for Valencia.
I think there's a bit of over analyzation. The moment Rob bet on them, Barcelona was doomed.
Ok, agreed. If Brazil had used Cattermole and Gibson against Kroos and Khedira they would have only lost by four.
Because he's a very talented player? If you're (not you, just in general) going to spend so long tapping up a player at least use him correctly when you play him.
Yeah, I used to like them a lot as a team but they have become ridiculous with some of their decisions.
Haha that's Bein Sports
This nonsense again? Cesc wasn't misused, unless you count deciding against changing the entire system for him misused. He played almost all his games in centre midfield (apart from when Messi was injured) and started more than most in the squad. If he can't perform then that's his own fault.
No he didn't. He was consistently played as one of the front three with the refusal to drop Xavi when he was in huge decline.
Maybe it had something to do with that spanish doctor being banned, fuente i think. Their pressing game disappeared as soon as he got caught.
2-0 to Valência with 22 mins. Back on track
You really need to watch more of barca
Iniesta played on the left actually under Tito and Tata. Cesc played in the middle with Xavi.
Seen 95+% of their games for near enough the past decade. Guess I better up it
You missed him playing as a false 9/wing forward?Iniesta played on the left actually under Tito and Tata. Cesc played in the middle with Xavi.
Seen 95+% of their games for near enough the past decade. Guess I better up it
Plus I think its more about the tactics than playing position. He would have been perfect for you lot or us as well but sadly chelsea got him
Fabregas wasn't misused. Spanish football is simply different, it is slower and requires more patience. Fabregas strength is picking out runners and making quick decisions in high tempo situations. English football is perfect for him. Maybe at Real he would have been better as they rely on pace and possess a lot of runners.
Messi was on a yellow after a couple of clumsy fouls. I also thinks he's not 100% fit, not injured, just with something that stops him training/performing at 100% physically - whether that's physiological (which he denies) or psychological, I don't know. Either way, if Enrique tells him to save his energy for attacking (or even if Messi decides it himself) then it's no surprise. Enrique's job is to know that that's now part of the team selection decision.
Can he play Suarez and Neymar alongside Messi in big games? Maybe, if all three are on peak attacking form and can just overwhelm their opponents. Otherwise they're going to repeat today's performance of great for a few minutes, ordinary for the rest.