BrettNUFC Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Massive difference. Just no urgency or drive in final third. Comes to a point where they run out of options. Messi picks the ball up and will take someone on, try a one two, open the space. Rarely did Barca threaten, Neymar had a chance early in the game (good save) but apart from that can't really remember the keeper being tested. Bilbao contained them then looked to counter and eventually got their goal through it. None of the forwards today could grab the game by the scruff of the neck, Messi would have showed a lot more urgency in the final third. Why Pedro was left till 80 plus minutes to come on I'll never know, was crying out for something different off the bench. Barca only have themselves to blame for dropping points, they can hold no excuses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Also these games where we look s*** made me realize how badly we miss... Xavi, not Messi. Our midfield isn't the same since his legs started to give, and Fàbregas isn't patient enough to play the same role (think he's great in the hole though). Xavi hasn't been himself this season, thought Barcelona has looked better with Iniesta - Fabregas. I'd play Neymar centrally and Pedro and Sanchez either side when Messi's out. Selling Thiago was seriously a terrible decision. It wasn't our decision, just a botch from our DoF for allowing that release clause in his contract. Regarding our playstyle this season, Martino has encouraged the players to take more risks and play more direct, which results on losing the ball more and less control of the games; thing is that we don't look particularly more threatening in possession, and we are more fragile as a result. The Fàbregas as striker madness has to stop, though. Why so many managers (Del Bosque, Vilanova, Martino...) use him in that role I just don't understand. The backline hasn't looked intimidating to anyone at Barca for a while, still an amazing team going forward often. It's a shame, should really try and prize Thiago Silva away from PSG. He'd make a real change to that defense. Ibra 4-0, penalty! How's the game been? Lyon started the first 5-10 quite well, hit the bar once. Apart from that it has been PSG all the way, should have had at least another penalty. The difference in class is huge, as expected. The tempo has been quite low for the last 25 minutes with both teams sort of waiting for the final whistle. Lyon have really had an up and down season according to a french friend. Some games they look excellent others like relegation battlers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 What a lovely weekend of football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Massive difference. Just no urgency or drive in final third. Comes to a point where they run out of options. Messi picks the ball up and will take someone on, try a one two, open the space. Rarely did Barca threaten, Neymar had a chance early in the game (good save) but apart from that can't really remember the keeper being tested. Bilbao contained them then looked to counter and eventually got their goal through it. None of the forwards today could grab the game by the scruff of the neck, Messi would have showed a lot more urgency in the final third. Why Pedro was left till 80 plus minutes to come on I'll never know, was crying out for something different off the bench. Barca only have themselves to blame for dropping points, they can hold no excuses. That has been this week, the other weeks they've been very good going forward. Alexis and Pedro are completely different players next to Neymar, he's finding them open all the time. You can't make a statement like that based on one game. Barcelona has been the very same the whole season with or without Messi. They've had a bad week, and are tend to have those under a new manager who has been changing the style a bit. VI is spot on in what he says, the more direct and risk taking style will hurt them plenty of times if they don't put away their chances. As for tonight, Neymar had an excellent chance, then he had another one that he fluffed over the goal, then he had the one on one with the keeper where he was brought down, should've been a red IMO and the commentators thought the same. I mean he's a yard from the box and cuts into his foot to shoot, the other defender will never reach him. Knowing Neymar tonight and this season he'd probably have missed anyways so maybe a yellow was a good decision after all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 What a lovely weekend of football. Decent enough. You guys keep going from strength to strength under Martinez no? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 What a lovely weekend of football. Decent enough. You guys keep going from strength to strength under Martinez no? Glad we actually smashed someone at last, it's been coming. That was with none of Baines, Barkley and Mirallas starting, too. Acid test at Old Trafford. We should be looking to certainly get a point at least, there is absolutely no way anyone can convince me their team is light years ahead of ours. They have a couple of world class players and a hell of a lot of mediocrity. The fixture represents as much a mental challenge as anything else. A trip to OT under Moyes meant hoping for a point at best. I'd rather we go for it, risk losing (which we still regularly did) but give ourselves a chance of winning. We can't consider this game a free hit or any of that total bollocks, not if we've any aspirations of getting somewhere this season. Get at those fuckers and if we are to get beat, make them work like fuck for it. Either way, our record in these sort of games simply has to improve. It's genuinely hard for it to get worse. Wins at Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal since (I think) 1995 altogether comes to a total of zero. 12 years since a win at Anfield. If I didn't laugh I'd cry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Camera angle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenham Mag Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Howitzer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Whey his goal against Chelsea a few years ago was class too wasn't it mr commentator? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.R. Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Made Sissoko's look like a tap in Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maybe_next_year Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Any need for the shot of fans waving to the camera? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 'He keeps things within his genre of game' Why do they bother, man. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.R. Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Cleverly schooled Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Lawrenson manages to piss me off before he even speaks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Why was Soldado collapsing to his knees when that Sandro shot went in? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Why was Soldado collapsing to his knees when that Sandro shot went in? I wrote that at the time, seemed like no one saw it. It's hilarious. Basically goes down crying like he's won a cup or something Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenBartonCentrePartin Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Still laughing at Toure. :lol: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.R. Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Wtf was Skrtel thinking? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Lovely own goal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Bruce's face Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieDazzler Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Rodgers looked tiny next to Bruce. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.R. Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Huddlestone searching for love in all the right places. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Lawro just makes no sense ever just blathers on and on just a stream of consciousness that is total nonsense Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Didnt realise Huddlestone was only 26 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenBartonCentrePartin Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Bold move letting Motson stray as far as Manchester. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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