The Decline of FC Barcelona?

[NoLogo]

So, if Barcelona "only" win La Liga and the Champions League -- and not the Copa del Rey -- would it still be evidence of their "decline"?

"Evolution" would be a much better word than "decline"?

And to be clear as to where I stand, I just don't enjoy watching them that much and hope somebody -- Real or Bayern -- shred them a new sphincter.

I don't know when they play as great as they did on Tuesday they are quite a joy to watch but when they can't be bothered or just pass the ball around to with no penetration at all it can be quite boring to watch.

But let's face it there is no team that always plays super exciting football.

I mean just look at us this season we even manage to pack both kinds of play into the same game quite often, super exciting at first and than mindbogglingly uninspired zombie passing.

 

[Amar__]

So, if Barcelona "only" win La Liga and the Champions League -- and not the Copa del Rey -- would it still be evidence of their "decline"?

"Evolution" would be a much better word than "decline"?

And to be clear as to where I stand, I just don't enjoy watching them that much and hope somebody -- Real or Bayern -- shred them a new sphincter.

How can any United fan support Real to win single game against anyone in CL this year after our game against them.

 

[Doevle]

How can any United fan support Real to win single game against anyone in CL this year after our game against them.

I think most of us are mad at the ref, not Real after that game.

 

[Amar__]

I am not mad at Real too, they acted professionally(except for Ramos of course), even Mourinho who I dislike acted like a gentleman, but they didn't deserve to end up quarter finals, so they will be the last team I will support in CL this year.

 

[Bross]

How can any United fan support Real to win single game against anyone in CL this year after our game against them.

Dumb comment. Real didnt do anything wrong in that game. Except Ramos being his usual twattish self ofcourse, but Barca have plenty of twats as well.

 

[Danny1982]

I am not mad at Real too, they acted professionally(except for Ramos of course), even Mourinho who I dislike acted like a gentleman, but they didn't deserve to end up quarter finals, so they will be the last team I will support in CL this year.

Amar_, you don't get it, we don't want Barcelona to win for the "good of football".

 

[Brwned]

I'm sorry but it's an absolute travesty to suggest this Barca side is anywhere near what they were at their peak.

 

[FCBarca]

The only way is down, Pep set the standards in his first season at a level no one can better

 

[KingEric7]

Yeah, obviously a better team back then. Still a top drawer team that would most likely shite all over us if we were to play them but the difference is clear.

 

[Cevno]

Yeah, obviously a better team back then. Still a top drawer team that would most likely shite all over us if we were to play them but the difference is clear.

Not sure about that tbh, if we get our tactics right.

 

[Raees]

I'm sorry but it's an absolute travesty to suggest this Barca side is anywhere near what they were at their peak.

Agreed.

 

[paceme]

They were always crap away from home in the european cup.

 

[Cevno]

Madrid vs Barca Semi should be a good encounter. This season Madrid have had their number a bit.

 

[Cal?]

How can any United fan support Real to win single game against anyone in CL this year after our game against them.

Not sure how anyone can blame Real for cnut Cunits whatshiscuntcuntname making Ovebro look competent...

 

[Cal?]

Madrid vs Barca Semi should be a good encounter. This season Madrid have had their number a bit.

Madrid v PSG will be better...

 

[kouroux]

I'm sorry but it's an absolute travesty to suggest this Barca side is anywhere near what they were at their peak.

You're responding to who exactly ?

 

[pocco]

Not sure about that tbh, if we get our tactics right.

Our wide players would be vital and, well....the less said about that, the better.

 

[Carl]

You're responding to who exactly ?

All the people in this thread that reckoned Barca haven't been a team in decline.

 

[Sixpence]

They were always crap away from home in the european cup.

Yep. This is nothing new. Even in their peak season of 08-09 they didn't win away from home in the CL knockout round.

At the Nou Camp they are nigh on unbeatable when it matters and you need a miracle park the bus job (Inter 2010, Chelsea 2012) to KO them. I still think they'll win it again this year.

 

[Striker10]

Talk of decline is wishful thinking. Why would people fall for it? Why should we call it transition for us but for them it's decline? They lost their coach - two in a short space of time. It's in no way shape or form a decline.

Possession is king. When they get a proper coach, they'll be back. As is, the only team that could potentially beat them is Real Madrid but Madrid are conditioned to playing Barcelona and they've had the luck this year, as we all know

 

[Buchan]

The game summed up Barcelona's season perfectly in my view. The game was fairly competitive with the opposition creating some opportunities they should have scored from but then Messi pops up with a goal from nowhere. The second half resumes without Messi and then Barcelona look totally impotent and lacking in incisiveness; Sanchez in particular squandering chances. The opposition then create some trouble from a succession of set-pieces and Barcelona cannot withstand the pressure. In years gone by, the lifeline of a late penalty to salvage the win for Barcelona would see them pass the opposition to death until the final whistle, but this variant are so flaky that a second PSG equaliser was never off the cards.

These problems have been apparent for months now but still, some fanboys would have us believe that all is well in paradise....

 

[Cevno]

Our wide players would be vital and, well....the less said about that, the better.

We hardly played with traditional wingers against Madrid either. Maybe in the second leg and they did decently until the sending off.

And anyway, against Barca we will have to play AC Milan first leg game.

 

[Cevno]

Yep. This is nothing new. Even in their peak season of 08-09 they didn't win away from home in the CL knockout round.

At the Nou Camp they are nigh on unbeatable when it matters and you need a miracle park the bus job (Inter 2010, Chelsea 2012) to KO them. I still think they'll win it again this year.

Madrid beat them twice recently at the Nou Camp, no ?

 

[kouroux]

All the people in this thread that reckoned Barca haven't been a team in decline.

I think decline is too strong of a word to describe their current state.After all they will win La Liga and will probably play in the CL's semi final.
They're not as entertaining, good and enjoyable to watch as before, that's one thing which cannot be disputed

 

[Striker10]

The game summed up Barcelona's season perfectly in my view. The game was fairly competitive with the opposition creating some opportunities they should have scored from but then Messi pops up with a goal from nowhere. The second half resumes without Messi and then Barcelona look totally impotent and lacking in incisiveness; Sanchez in particular squandering chances. The opposition then create some trouble from a succession of set-pieces and Barcelona cannot withstand the pressure. In years gone by, the lifeline of a late penalty to salvage the win for Barcelona would see them pass the opposition to death until the final whistle, but this variant are so flaky that a second PSG equaliser was never off the cards.

These problems have been apparent for months now but still, some fanboys would have us believe that all is well in paradise....

Does that equal decline? No....

 

[Sixpence]

Madrid beat them twice recently at the Nou Camp, no ?

I'm just talking about the CL. In particular since the Pep era, in which only those 2 park the bus jobs have denied them probably 4 consecutive CL titles.

 

[Cevno]

I'm just talking about the CL. In particular since the Pep era, in which only those 2 park the bus jobs have denied them probably 4 consecutive CL titles.

And what about Ovrebo and the 2 Madrid red cards that got them those 2 CL titles ?

 

[Cal?]

I'm just talking about the CL. In particular since the Pep era, in which only those 2 park the bus jobs have denied them probably 4 consecutive CL titles.

Alternatively the travesty of Stamford Bridge and Bernabeu are the only reason they have won the CL in recent years...

 

[Castia]

Here we go again...nothing is said for weeks then suddenly a 2-2 draw away in Paris and they are fecking shit

Im sure people open this thread everytime a Barcelona game is on hoping they slip up so they can do a ''told you so'' post. Boring as feck, at least you can have something to complain about until they beat PSG 5-0 in the return leg.

 

[sullydnl]

I'd be very slow to say any team is in decline after all the times I've heard the same about United. We've been winning the league repeatedly with "the worst United team in years" for about a decade now.

Barcelona are still the best team in the world by far.

 

[KingEric7]

Not sure about that tbh, if we get our tactics right.

We'd need to get them very, very right...

I say 'most likely' because there's always a chance, but I'm struggling to envisage how we could win against them with this team. They're tailor made to dick all over us; we'd barely get the ball and struggle massively to string moves together even when we did have it (their pressing hasn't quite been at the same standard this season in my opinion but it's still good). This whilst not really having the directness (in part due to the form of our wingers) to get at their comparatively weaker defence on the counter. Anyone could beat anyone with the right tactics and luck but I just don't see how we could come up against Iniesta and Messi and hope to keep them at bay, whilst sitting back having them Traveller us out with their passing and hoping to score on one of the very select occasions we'd keep the ball long enough. We couldn't do it in 2009 or 2011 and, whilst Barcelona are not quite the same team, we had teams capable of better possession football then.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Alternatively the travesty of Stamford Bridge and Bernabeu are the only reason they have won the CL in recent years...

Don't worry, Madrid might win it this season, then you can forget all about it and have a big cry wank

 

[Inspectah deck]

The game summed up Barcelona's season perfectly in my view. The game was fairly competitive with the opposition creating some opportunities they should have scored from but then Messi pops up with a goal from nowhere. The second half resumes without Messi and then Barcelona look totally impotent and lacking in incisiveness; Sanchez in particular squandering chances. The opposition then create some trouble from a succession of set-pieces and Barcelona cannot withstand the pressure. In years gone by, the lifeline of a late penalty to salvage the win for Barcelona would see them pass the opposition to death until the final whistle, but this variant are so flaky that a second PSG equaliser was never off the cards.

These problems have been apparent for months now but still, some fanboys would have us believe that all is well in paradise....

Their "peak" as you call it is between 2008/2009 and 2010/2011

Two points on that....

1. Barcelona had never played in the KO rounds of the CL without Messi being available for just 1 half in that time period so we don't know how they'd fare.
2 Barcelona in that period won only 2 out of 9 games away from home in the KO stages.

So using their KO record away from home as proof that they're in decline is...i'd say a flimsy conclusion.

 

[Buchan]

Does that equal decline? No....

When compared to the ruthless nature of their 2009-11 variant, I would say yes. These problems simply weren't there back then, and if the odd one arose, they certainly were not as frequent.

They haven't been this flaky defensively since the 2007/08 (when they finished third in the league.) Messi's incredible run of form is glossing over their problems, but then again, he's setting records that may never be broken so it can't be all negative. The question was raised by myself earlier in the thread about what would happen if Messi lost form or got injured. He went off tonight and for the entire second half Barcelona lacked genuine incisiveness. Coincidence maybe, but if Alexis Sanchez is the answer, I'd shudder to think what the question is.

 

[Cal?]

Don't worry, Madrid might win it this season, then you can forget all about it and have a big cry wank

I fail to see how Madrid winning it will make up for Barca robbing us of 2 CL titles.

 

[Sixpence]

Alternatively the travesty of Stamford Bridge and Bernabeu are the only reason they have won the CL in recent years...

Wouldn't call either travesties. Barca fecking bossed Chelsea in their own back yard with 10 men in that game. On the other hand, Pepe is a dick and deserves everything he gets. Madrid had no intention of trying to win that game and Messi tore them apart.

 

[Cevno]

We'd need to get them very, very right...

I say 'most likely' because there's always a chance, but I'm struggling to envisage how we could win against them with this team. They're tailor made to dick all over us; we'd barely get the ball and struggle massively to string moves together even when we did have it (their pressing hasn't quite been at the same standard this season in my opinion but it's still good). This whilst not really having the directness (in part due to the form of our wingers) to get at their comparatively weaker defence on the counter. Anyone could beat anyone with the right tactics and luck but I just don't see how we could come up against Iniesta and Messi and hope to keep them at bay, whilst sitting back having them Traveller us out with their passing and hoping to score on one of the very select occasions we'd keep the ball long enough. We couldn't do it in 2009 or 2011 and, whilst Barcelona are not quite the same team, we had teams capable of better possession football then.

We never went to sit back and just hit them on the counter in 2009 or 2011 though. We tried to press them but failed. We sat back 2008 Semi's away leg and played on the counter.

Also compared to 2011 we have better players to play on the counter now (Welbeck, Kagawa, Nani like we did against Madrid) and a better hold up striker i. We played with Giggs and Carrick in midfield and Park and Valencia wide with Cheech upfront, so not sure how we were more capable of possession football either.

Not saying we will beat them, but they "won't dick all over us".

 

[Castia]

Their "peak" as you call it is between 2008/2009 and 2010/2011



1. Barcelona had never played in the KO rounds of the CL without Messi being available for just 1 half in that time period so we don't know how they'd fare.
2 Barcelona in that period won only 2 out of 9 games away from home in the KO stages.

So using their KO record away from home as proof that they're in decline is...i'd say a flimsy conclusion.

Too much logic, that's not a fair argument.
They are only 13 points clear in La Liga with 1 foot in the semi final of the Champions League they are in free fall.

 

[Cal?]

Wouldn't call either travesties. Barca fecking bossed Chelsea in their own back yard with 10 men in that game. On the other hand, Pepe is a dick and deserves everything he gets. Madrid had no intention of trying to win that game and Messi tore them apart.

Chelsea could have had 5 penalties with a different ref, you may hate Pepe but the fact remains that he didn't touch Alves who should have been booked for diving.

 

[Buchan]

Here we go again...nothing is said for weeks then suddenly a 2-2 draw away in Paris and they are fecking shit

They threw away a lead late on at the weekend too, you know...