You're right, thanks! I checked it season by season and managed to miss both
La Liga 2017/18
- Thread starter Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87
- Start date
Despite not looking great, Barca are solid.
He is, very pragmatic and takes very few risks - it's incredibly boring and I can't imagine the fanbase tolerating it for much longer...even at top of the table and having at least played better. First whistles I've heard for Suarez, not sure he deserves it tbh - he's definitely in a rut but this is not a good tactical setup to use him best. Of course, then there's Messi whom I can't believe is being wasted this way. 3 points but another forgettable performance
They are not the most entertaining Barcelona versions. Very strong in defense and clinical going forward.
Although in general for the last 10 years Real Madrid have been a much more entertaining team to watch in general even if Barcelona have been better.
Sadly though if Barcelona run away with it watching the games get less interesting as I normally like watching both Barcelona and Real hoping they will drop points and see the underdogs getting anything.
You're kidding right? The "assist" for the goal was because of the Sevilla defender. He's just so unbelievably bad. Every single break ends with him unable to control the ball or find a player with a 3 yard pass. His goals used to paper over the cracks in terms of his overall peformances but now he's not even got that.
Not a bad tactic really because you had plenty of chances on the counter but unfortunately Suarez spoils everything.
That man can't find a teammate from 3 yards away. You have promising breaks and the ball comes to him and that's where it ends. The cyst in his knee might cause his issues right now but he's been garbage for a while now
Well if we were good enough to liquidate games in the first 30 minutes (like we were in the golden era) then maybe, I even defended that theory in the City thread when people say they will be out of gas by March, if you win easy at the start you work less at the end.
But, in this specific case, what's the difference for Messi between running the first 45 minutes and walking the other 45, or doing it in the reverse order?. Going full steam in the first half doesn't secure the game for us most of the time, we would lack a midfield able to control the tempo in the second half if we were to get ahead (Iniesta is the one, and he needs rest to, Messi would be 2nd best at that) and it would mean Messi having to duke it out against fresh defenders in the first half.
The way he plays know, he's still there for any chance he can capitalize in the first half while playing on diesel mode, and he does his best effort against worned out players. If we had a 80M substitue to rest Messi in the bench capable of scoring goals like Real had with Morata last year when they rested Ronaldo then yeah, maybe. But still you have another problem, right now Messi isn't only our best striker, he's also our best midfielder and he wants to play every minute because he enjoys playing football.
Creating any kind of problem around this seems pointless imho.
Suarez looks washed.
True. Hard to believe some people here were arguing that he's better than (original) Ronaldo.
Will be interesting to see how that works out in champions league against the better teams. It might give them better chances. Although under Enrique they played a lot on the counter as well and it suited Neymar very well. With Suarez in poor form I am not sure how well they will do against better teams.
That's not true to the team's style. Barca at home play on the front foot and force teams to defend. They don't sit back and play on the counter protecting a 2-1 lead against a much inferior team, with all due respect for Sevilla.
If we played them on Pizjuan then yes, you can be more defensive, but at home it's unacceptable.
Think he is working with what he got. Compare current Barca to vintage Barca, quite the difference.
Seems fair when you put it that way, it does look like the best way with the players available at Barcelona to keep Messi fit and win most of the matches.
On a side note, isnt there pressure and criticism from old legends on this style of play?
I also think he's playing as good as he can with the squad he has at his disposal.
If Deulofeu was Henry, Rakitic was Xavi and Iniesta was 10 years younger it would be fair to compare this team to the standard most people are trying to use against them, sadly we're not in that situation squad-wise
It was the final 15 mins or so and I think he just wanted to ensure you enter the international break with this important win and it worked. You still had plenty of breaks to extend the lead a lot more.
Without Viera to boot. Man, it's such awful timing getting his injury - missing a trip to the Bernabéu and he'd have most likely got another call up to Spain.
Surely having Dembele available would have changed things. Once he found his feet coming to a big club like Barca he would have made you more exciting. Also think the drop in form of Suarez is not helping. It makes the loss of Neymar and his flair look even worse.
He may have lost Neymar & Dembele to injury but no one forced him to continue to play the 4-4-2 he loves to play anyway. This was predicted when he was a rumoured candidate last season. Worst kept secret is the need for a proper CM to bolster the squad for a couple of years now and that wasn't addressed this summer either
And Deulofeu doesn't need to be Titi, he just needs to play and play in a 4-3-3 like he grew up in at Barcelona. Perhaps that may change with Arnáiz wide left & Deulo on the right until Dembouz is available for the 2nd half of the season
Barca can't play in a 4-3-3 shape with Messi. Messi doesn't want to play down the wing. Yesterday barca set up in a 3-4-1-2 most of the time(when they had the ball), while shifting into a 4-4-2 the few times sevilla managed to beat their press
Benz messes up the first huge chance.
Benzema is a disgrace, square it if you cant finish.
Kroos and Casemiro playing again...
I shit my pants every time the ball comes near Casilla. I just don't trust him somehow. How long until Navas is back?
Why does Ceballos not get a chance?
Today its the day to win in a convincing way or some boos to start winning from Next week 
Nacho is shit.
You guys never miss a chance to start waving your white hankiesToday its the day to win in a convincing way or some boos to start winning from Next week
You guys never miss a chance to start waving your white hankies
Sometimes Bernabéu is unfair but I think that the team can do it much better,and therefore maybe in this case could help to wake upSpoilt much? He's an ok keeper, just not world class. Imagine playing the second half of the season with Pinto as your GK
We might need to borrow some those hankies from Bernabeu if our lot don't get it together soon!
That passing move by Las Palmas that turned into a counter attack was beautiful. Not a chance any Premier League club below 6th would be able of doing that.
Never a pen, hands were by his side ffs. I hope our players don't count on a penalty to win this.
He's alright I guess but still a huge difference with Navas imo.Spoilt much? He's an ok keeper, just not world class. Imagine playing the second half of the season with Pinto as your GK
Good effort Ronaldo, hits the outside of the post.
Benz is useless...
Casemiro opens the game. Finally a goal from a corner
2nd placed in the PL has no chance of reproducing that.
Casemiro 1-0