Standing up to Giroud 
Champions League Round of 16 first leg (second week) 23/02 24/02
- Thread starter BBRBB
- Start date
I think this is a big part of the reason why Bayern struggled in away fixtures uder Pep. Injuries to key players have played an important role though. Maybe Pep's methods facilitate injuries but in many games he couldn't use some of his best players. Last season, several very important players were out against Barcelona whereas the latter had all their key players available. If some of the injured defenders are back and you lose none of the attacking players, you'll be a bigger threat than last year.
Barcelona are beautiful to watch at time. The calm and composure at times on the ball is unbelievable.
You always got the impression Barca never really got out of second gear, and they should of scored a few more than they actually did.
You always got the impression Barca never really got out of second gear, and they should of scored a few more than they actually did.
Ok then.
You guys are taking this a bit wrong...
I never said that you guys need to see it that way it´s my opinion.. I like the entertainment value more in the PL than the SPL, more contact, quicker and more than one team competing for the title each year and less diving and play acting. You guys can have another opinion I really do not care. That doesn´t change the fact that Barcelona have cnuts all over from Busquets to Suarez to Alves diving and cheating if things get tough. Why Alba wasn´t sent off yesterday is all because Giroud didn´t play act like the Barca players do all the time..
They might have the best team in the world but they have a squad full of this and I don´t like it and that´s my opinion..
PS Nice to have a fully occupied Grammar Police on this forum don´t know what we would do without it...
They do go down more easily in Spain, but thuggery is given as much of a addition free-pass in England, so it evens it out for me.You guys are taking this a bit wrong...
I never said that you guys need to see it that way it´s my opinion.. I like the entertainment value more in the PL than the SPL, more contact, quicker and more than one team competing for the title each year and less diving and play acting. You guys can have another opinion I really do not care. That doesn´t change the fact that Barcelona have cnuts all over from Busquets to Suarez to Alves diving and cheating if things get tough. Why Alba wasn´t sent off yesterday is all because Giroud didn´t play act like the Barca players do all the time..
They might have the best team in the world but they have a squad full of this and I don´t like it and that´s my opinion..
PS Nice to have a fully occupied Grammar Police on this forum don´t know what we would do without it...
The classicos of a few years used to annoy me hugely, though. Took cunitshness to new levels.
But otherwise, I, personally, don't see it as a particularly bad league morally or anything. English football has its own cheats/thugs/bigots in Ashley Young, Diego Costa, Terry etc. who are no better.
brilliant match for 60 minutes from Bayern. Obviously the plan was to put so much pressure on Juve that the Bayern surrogate defense is put to the test as little as possible. Juve didn't stand deep on purpose, they were forced back. Not too many teams can achiieve this on their home ground (though i wonder if that had succeeded had Juve still had Vidal )
Bad luck the gameplan crumbled in the last 30, but then Juve to have quite a lot of quality in attack.
Will make for an interesting rematch. A few years ago i'd have said: oh nowies, now they will just sit deep and try to hit us on the counter", but nowadays that is how our matches go, anyway.
With a bit of luck, the position for the return leg could have been better, but Benatia 2 more weeks in training, possibly Ribery starting - things don't look all that bad.
)Bad luck the gameplan crumbled in the last 30, but then Juve to have quite a lot of quality in attack.
Will make for an interesting rematch. A few years ago i'd have said: oh nowies, now they will just sit deep and try to hit us on the counter", but nowadays that is how our matches go, anyway
.With a bit of luck, the position for the return leg could have been better, but Benatia 2 more weeks in training, possibly Ribery starting - things don't look all that bad.
The outcome of the Arsenal v Barcelona game would have been completely different if it were not for the fact that Arsenal had ultracompetitive FA Cup game against Hull on Saturday while Barcelona played God awful Las Palmas who are Conference level.
Or something.
Or something.
I have just mentioned it in the Bayern thread - it was the first time he started Müller + Lewy + 2 wingers in an away fixture in the knockout phases.
And the only striker goal in one of this matches was when both Müller and Pizarro were subbed in (than it was the mentioned Müller + Lewy + 2 wingers) in the match against Arsenal two years ago. The Bayern offense in my eyes just needs this 4 elements to really function especially against the good teams. Even if you have to give up some of your control for that.
That is nothing new with Pep - it was the same with Heynckes who prefered similar formations and it needed Kroos' injury in the treble season to change that.
No, It wouldn't. Barcelona is just in another league. Arsenal's done well in the first half defensively, but no team can handle that for the 90 minutes. Eventually you get tired.
Your sarcasm detector needs repairing.
Well that goes without saying. I am well aware that there is no snowball chance in hell we can reach that level any time soon. No amount of transfers or no one manager can achieve that. If it was that simple, Real would have matched them. I believe Barcelona's level is the accumulation of work that they have done since the early '90s and all throughout until mid '00s. Bayern have also greatly benefited from an overhaul in German football in the early '00s and the contribution of foreign footballing people from coaches and managers to reach the level they are at now. So I don't buy into this deluded notion that all that separates us from them is buying players. The point I am trying to make is that as a club we should be aiming for that as the ultimate goal and not merely being competitive with them and trying to stop them when we come up against each other. If we come up against them next year for example, I accept that we are behind and the only logical thing to do is to not attempt to outplay them. However, if we come up against them in say 5 years or whatever, I'd be asking what the club has been doing in preparation for this day to justify sitting off the best that Europe has to offer. My problem with Mourinho is that he will contribute nothing towards that long term plan, i.e: a great footballing side that can outplay rather be competitive. Hence my original comment.
No I think playing Hull City and having to contain Meyler and Diomande took its toll.
I can't see why Coquelin is being blamed for the Barca counter-attack. Ball goes into box, is cleared, they break & score. Where is this pass to Mertesacker that was so terrible?
We have issues with it early in the mornings
Bloody hell, Thiago took a freekick last night with amazing technique. Just saw it on the highlights.
Not sure if I'm allowed to post highlights or not, so I'll spoiler it:
Takes the freekick around the 2:40 mark so watch before that. The way he jerks his foot out afterwards.
Not sure if I'm allowed to post highlights or not, so I'll spoiler it:
Takes the freekick around the 2:40 mark so watch before that. The way he jerks his foot out afterwards.
That was a very weird technique indeed. Was it done to generate more spin on the ball ?
How did Bayern raise the bar? They won CL with Heynckes and that was it for them. Next year Guardiola came and lost 5-0 to Real Madrid in two games and last year Barca won 3-0 in the first game and that was it for them. Guardiola lost 55% of their away games in Europe.
Heynckes Bayern side were the most complete side I've ever seen. Combined Barca's posession play with Dortmund's pressing ability, while being able to counter attack and physically bully teams as well. They didn't have a single tactical weakness.
Tonight is such an anticlimax compared to last night. Will watch Atlético I think.
I've also used the technique at times and it's hard to describe why you do it but I normally do it to make a curved ball do a slightly more straight line on the way towards goal while spinning - like you bend it outwards while it wants to spin inwards and the net effect is a straighter line. I think the purpose is to make the ball go a bit slower and powerless with as little height as possible, perhaps to allow the forwards more time. It's also hard for the keeper to make the decision whether to go for it and risk missing it totally.
Must be. I've seen a few people try and score from the corner flag with a similar style - but I've never seen it performed in a proper match.
This guy in the black top does it for example:
Video should start close to the moment he does it.
It's so aesthetically pleasing.
Ah I see I see! Cheers.
Come on, Dinamo!
I don't like wishing injury on players but I hope someone kills this ratfaced twat on the pitch one day. I'd celebrate it like we've won the champions league. Odious little scrote.
PSV clears off the line! That would have been a great start for Atletico.
Good start for Dinamo.
Feck off
Game over. I thought Dinamo would have a chance by benching Veloso. Time to watch the other game
Aguero with an important goal.
Every Atletico player has yellow or orange shoes it seems.
Griezzmann misses a 1v1, should score
Griezmann needs his fancy hair back.
Griezmann 1v1 with the keeper and the keeper makes a save. Should have scored that.
Great chance for PSV missed
Miguel Veloso. Wasnt he once a caf favourite?
Oblak with a great save at the other end.
FM Legend too. What a name.
Absolute travesty that we had to chose between two great games yesterday and two shit ones today.
he would have scored with a dyed-iro-undercut
Can't say this is a shitty game .