[Archived] Champions League 2010

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

You sound like Wenger Iceman! Barca could not beat Madrid with 11 men and their tactic was to get someone sent off, how pathetic is that from a side supposedly the greatest of all time?

Barca's tactic wasn't to get a man sent off. Their tactic was to play football and attempt to win the game. Madrid didn't try to win the game. Barca didn't beat Madrid with 11 men, but Madrid came nowhere near beating Barca with 11 either. What's more pathetic, shutting up shop on your own ground in the first leg of a semi final when the opposition are missing several key players, are playing a midfielder in central defence, a centre back at left back and you have some of the greatest attacking talent in Europe, or diving more often than your opponents??

[imy9]

Barca's tactic wasn't to get a man sent off. Their tactic was to play football and attempt to win the game. Madrid didn't try to win the game. Barca didn't beat Madrid with 11 men, but Madrid came nowhere near beating Barca with 11 either. What's more pathetic, shutting up shop on your own ground in the first leg of a semi final when the opposition are missing several key players, are playing a midfielder in central defence, a centre back at left back and you have some of the greatest attacking talent in Europe, or diving more often than your opponents??

Watch the sending off again Pepe did not touch him but Alves went off on a stretcher and the team demanded he be sent off, is this not pathetic? At every available opportunity Barca players went down holding their faces trying to get Madrid players sent off, that's not diving, that's cheating. Madrid playing defensive football is their right, certainly not cheating and they had more chances before the sending off.

[Stuart]

Iceman, my overall point is that watching Mourinho try to outwit Guardiola was fascinating to watch. It was tight and edgy. Once Barca realised they weren't going to be allowed to play their beautiful game (in their historic rival's stadium) they became petulant and childish. (See imy's posts).

It was like 11 Arsene Wenger's rolling around. As soon as they "got Pepe sent off" (which is exactly what they did) it was a different story and Barca had far more space to exploit.

But then I'm the type of person who gets more excitement from watching a close tactical safety battle in snooker more than watching Ronnie O'Sullivan produce 147 after 147. And will give Kudos to the player who beats him 13-12 after out-thinking him. If Ronnie was to trying to distract his opponent and belly-ache at the ref every two minutes during the match because he was able to get into a rhythm I'd feel exactly the same.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Watch the sending off again Pepe did not touch him but Alves went off on a stretcher and the team demanded he be sent off, is this not pathetic? At every available opportunity Barca players went down holding their faces trying to get Madrid players sent off, that's not diving, that's cheating. Madrid playing defensive football is their right, certainly not cheating and they had more chances before the sending off.

You're spot on about Pepe. No debate there. My issue is that Madrid also cheated. Mourinho's antics were pathetic and both sides were running at the ref as soon as one of their players was tackled. Barca did dive more often because they had more of the ball, but Madrid were hardly saints themselves. Unfortunately on the continent diving is far more common and it'd be great to see UEFA issue severe penalties to both sides for it, but we know that wont happen. Busquets in particular was pathetic.

From a footballing point of view Madrid ruined that game. Yes Barca dived around on the floor as if they'd all been shot, but they wont be the last side to do that, and in my opinion is indicative of the state of continental football.

I just thought it was very sad to see a side featuring Ozil, Ronaldo, Di Maria, Alonso, Adebayor, Higuain, Benzema etc intentionally play for a 0-0 when they were at home. It was reminisent of the Dutch vs Spanish World Cup Final. They had the quality to beat Barca without having to resort to such negative tactics.

[Stuart]

But football isn't just about flair. If it was Sam would never have become a highly paid manager.

Everyone has a different view of what "football" is.

It seems to some as though it's only about Arsenal or Barca style play and anything else is hoofball or anti-football. But ultimately it's about getting the ball in the onion bag one more time than your opponents (yes, even over two legs) without using your hands/arms. There are some other rules but largely that's it.

But I guess the differing views are, fundamentally, what keeps messageboards going.

[Iceman]

But football isn't just about flair. If it was Sam would never have become a highly paid manager.

Everyone has a different view of what "football" is.

It seems to some as though it's only about Arsenal or Barca style play and anything else is hoofball or anti-football. But ultimately it's about getting the ball in the onion bag one more time than your opponents (yes, even over two legs) without using your hands/arms. There are some other rules but largely that's it.

But I guess the differing views are, fundamentally, what keeps messageboards going.

Tell that to Rovers fans Jisty

[Iceman]

You sound like Wenger Iceman! Barca could not beat Madrid with 11 men and their tactic was to get someone sent off, how pathetic is that from a side supposedly the greatest of all time?

They did Beat Madrid 6-2 and 5-0 in recent seasons,and i dont recall their tactics was to get somebody sent off in those games. in fact, in most of their other games, against other opposition, they also just played football. It wasnt about the game, it was what led to the events of that game. Mourinho starterd the whole chaos, and he was the one who caused quite abit of the problems during the game. That to me is worse than what happened on the field, because lets be honest, before Mourinho, the Madrid vs Barca rivalry was fierce, but it never got out of control as much as it has since the Idiot one took charge.

[adopted scouser]

They were all diving, it was pathetic.

That Di Maria is a big soppy fart.

[Mattyblue]

But football isn't just about flair. If it was Sam would never have become a highly paid manager.

Everyone has a different view of what "football" is.

It seems to some as though it's only about Arsenal or Barca style play and anything else is hoofball or anti-football. But ultimately it's about getting the ball in the onion bag one more time than your opponents (yes, even over two legs) without using your hands/arms. There are some other rules but largely that's it.

But I guess the differing views are, fundamentally, what keeps messageboards going.

Absoflaminglutely!

it is competitive, professional sport, not a night at the ballet (well supposedly).

[imy9]

Fair enough Iceman- my views on the spectacle if football are similar to Jisty, I think the special one is a genius who has shown in his time in Spain already that they will topple Barca in the next season or so, that team needs another 6 months of the special one!

[Eddie]

Barcelona were certainly trying to get a Real Madrid player sent off. At every opportunity they went down holding their faces. During the course of the match that must have happened at least 6/7 times, despite the fact that there was never any serious contact.

As for your argument that they 'may have managed to get a 0-0'...I'll say again, they were the more threatening team up until the sending off. The sending off actually game during a sustained period of Real Madrid pressure.

[Mattyblue]

Barcelona were certainly trying to get a Real Madrid player sent off. At every opportunity they went down holding their faces. During the course of the match that must have happened at least 6/7 times, despite the fact that there was never any serious contact.

As for your argument that they 'may have managed to get a 0-0'...I'll say again, they were the more threatening team up until the sending off. The sending off actually game during a sustained period of Real Madrid pressure.

You seem to dislike Barca more than I do the Dingles, Eddie?

[Eddie]

I dislike both of those teams, but I don't like it when a team adopts the strategy of just trying to get an opposition player sent off.

You would think that the 'greatest club side ever' could beat 11 men...or is that a crazy idea?

[MeanGreenMachine]

Ive started to despise everything about barcelona, the other night topped it off for me.

[SergioPeter89]

With all this diving and stuff, I recommend all of you to take a look at this movie:

http://www.youtube.com/user/WoopaTV#p/a/u/2/NOSVVrj0WZo

It will probably cheer you up in these hard times...

[Iceman]

well 1-1, but Barca should be well ahead by now. United will do well to win the champions league

[adopted scouser]

F*** off Mascherano, roll over five times then jump back up ?

[Eddie]

well 1-1, but Barca should be well ahead by now. United will do well to win the champions league

I think United will have been encouraged by this semi-final and the two other games Real-Barca games. The sending off decided that tie, without it I am not sure if Barcelona would have gone through.

[Mattyblue]

Come off it Eddie, they could have gone up a gear tonight if needed.

Take off your anti-Barca spectacles.

[imy9]

Barca certainly raised the bar tonight with their theatrics- the cheating Argentinian who conned the ref to disallow Higuans goal- that would have been 1-0, match before cost Madrid too, add the racism slant too and this Barca team has dropped in my estimation.

[MarkBRFC71]

Well, the best team clearly won over 2 legs. In the first leg Madrid had no intention other than to stop Barca, and basically kick 10 bells out of them. For all Barca's theatrics, if Madrid weren't kicking the shat out of them then there would be no need for them to go to ground. Tonight, Madrid started with a more positive line-up but it was too little, too late.

Have to say I thought that Jose's comments definitely influenced the ref - Carvalho should have had at least 4 yellows, and Alonso, Diarra and Adebayor could all easily have seen two - perhaps tonight he was a little too lenient?

[Eddie]

Come off it Eddie, they could have gone up a gear tonight if needed.

Take off your anti-Barca spectacles.

Equally the tie would have been totally different had it still been 0-0.

[greco]

its a shame such a talented barca team, feels its needed to portray a russian teen girl, while doing a scene with rocco, in almost every duel.

its about time, that video evidence get used way more, after the game is played, so those annoying theatrics gets punished.

[Iceman]

please Greco, Madrid were once again up to their ######. constant fouling, not much in terms of trying to play football. was it 3 shots at goal? How much money spent every season? at the end, you could see the unity within the Barca squad from players, right down to management. Madrid are all about individuals, and in Ronaldo they have a big cry baby.

[greco]

please Greco, Madrid were once again up to their ######. constant fouling, not much in terms of trying to play football. was it 3 shots at goal? How much money spent every season? at the end, you could see the unity within the Barca squad from players, right down to management. Madrid are all about individuals, and in Ronaldo they have a big cry baby.

either i didnt put it clearly enough or you´ve misunderstood me. Barca is a better team then real, personally i see this barca side, as one of the best ever. My post wasnt directed at barcas quality, but solely on their theatrical tendencies.

They´re so good, that they really do not need, to do silly theatrical acts during games. That makes it even more dissapointing.