[Archived] Champions league final coverage

[jim mk2]

Well, now I know you're nuts

I'm not disputing the quality of the some of their play or the passion of the players - merely the spectacle on offer. There's more to football than passing the ball ad infinitum and there are some traditional and exciting parts of the game that Barcelona ignore, such as wing play, crossing and heading. Several times, Barcelona took corner kicks and rather than loft the ball into the area they worked the ball back to the half-way line so they could start their interminable passing movements again. Now you may enjoy that but after an hour of constant passing, passing, passing I was bored to tears. Each to his own.

[HemelRover]

I'm not disputing the quality of the some of their play or the passion of the players - merely the spectacle on offer. There's more to football than passing the ball ad infinitum and there are some traditional and exciting parts of the game that Barcelona ignore, such as wing play, crossing and heading. Several times, Barcelona took corner kicks and rather than loft the ball into the area they worked the ball back to the half-way line so they could start their interminable passing movements again. Now you may enjoy that but after an hour of constant passing, passing, passing I was bored to tears. Each to his own.

Im one of those that are with you. Wether its because ive just seen them too many times this season(Almost every single weekend on Sky and Champions League games) im not too sure but im bored of, and dont enjoy, watching them now.

[patrickvalery]

I'm not disputing the quality of the some of their play or the passion of the players - merely the spectacle on offer. There's more to football than passing the ball ad infinitum and there are some traditional and exciting parts of the game that Barcelona ignore, such as wing play, crossing and heading. Several times, Barcelona took corner kicks and rather than loft the ball into the area they worked the ball back to the half-way line so they could start their interminable passing movements again. Now you may enjoy that but after an hour of constant passing, passing, passing I was bored to tears. Each to his own.

Each to their own indeed. But if you strip it all right back to basics, Barca as pragmatic as your beloved Sam Allardyce. Your opponents cannot win the game if they cannot get the ball. Barca are simply the best at preventing whoever they play having and keeping the football. Its a simple ethos but has taken decades to master. Watching them play gets to the point when it becomes sadistic. Its like watching a cat toying with a mouse. The more the mouse tires the cat just takes swipes at will. Say what you like about the virtues of who sides who are more or less entertaining, but Barcelona are streets ahead of anyone else around. British sides and British players with all their gusto will nearly always come unstuck against a side who are so comfortable in possession and hunt in packs.

But you're absolutley right. Football goes in cycles and it will go full circle again. A thought which has given me great comfort as a Rovers fan!!

Edit,

I should just clarify my Allardyce point. Not for one minute am i suggesting he played in a similar way. Simply he had a pragmatic approach to the law of averages and exploiting opponents weaknesses. Barca's is simpler still - Keep the ball away from your opponents and they won't beat you.

[Silencio]

Are you sure about that ? English clubs have had sustained success in European club football since the end of the 1960s and while the teams have not always been composed entirely of English / British players you could say the same about the teams from clubs in other countries. Success also tends to go in cycles: Spanish football is on top at the moment but England, Germany, Holland and Italy have all had periods when their clubs have been dominant. Hungary beat England in 1953 by the way.

I can only really be sure about the last 20 or so years as that is what I've seen but certainly in that time there have not been any English players who would get regular games in the current Barcelona side. We've been obsessed with players like Beckham, Gerrard, and John Terry over the last 15 years.

I guess you are correct about the success had by English teams in the 60's and 70's as I didn't get to see the World Cup winners or Clough's teams who must have been better than the players we produce now.

[CAPT KAYOS]

My opinion of it is, English football suffered terribly when barred from Europe, and they haven't fully recovered yet to be honest. Before the ban, the English league was always competitive and English players were right up there with the best of them, but when they weren't playing in Europe the football style stagnated. It got significantly less fluent and not playing the cream of the continent year on year and bringing that experience back really hurt the entire league. Cyclical success is true, but the English teams are only getting back into the swing of things in the last 8 years or so (sporadic successes previously aside) and you can see in the last few years that they're genuinely competitive on the continent.

Although it may have suffered and I think there is some validity (and possibly the beginnings of it) in this, I don't think it's the mainstay (ie Internaionals where still being played - with the players gaining experience mostly made up of those competing in Europe)

My feelings are its down to the attitude of 'must stay in the P/L of the lesser clubs' coupled with the 'squad game' being relied on moreso and the structure of the European competitions. In turn (imo) , its resulted in clubs having 'overflow' of talent at the respective clubs not being used (being wasted sat on a bench)

Foreign teams have always tended to have been more skilfull and technically gifted regardless - it was the application and confidence and determination of the players (set team) and nous of the managers that tended to be the swaying factor for the English teams

[McClarky]

English teams, and in particular the national team, should learn a harsh lesson from Barca's complete mastery over Utd the other night. The basic truth is that in these bug games you can't win the game if you can't keep hold of the ball. Utd never had enough possession and so were never really in the game. How many times have England teams come against anyone half decent and been played off the park because they can't get the ball in decent areas. Hoofing it up may be exciting sometimes but it won't win you owt against top teams who will just keep it when you give it back to them and pull you apart. If you look back at Liverpool in the 70s/80s they were probably the only British team I can remember who used to dominate possession like great teams do and it's no coinciodence that they won 4 European Cups is it?

[speeeeeeedie]

McClarky, I agree with you. I've been reading some of the drivel written over the last few days and it's no wonder England in particular will never win anything as the prevailing attitude amongst the locals seems to be that if you can pass and control a ball it's boring.

Barcelona are fantastic to watch with and without the ball. Apparently though they're not good enough as according to Jim they don't head it enough, and thenodrog reckons that because they didn't play on 60's bog heaps they can't be classed as being good.

I hope Jim is on his usual wind up, but theno has proven time and again that he knows sack all about football.

[Mattyblue]

Rooney was on TalkSport earlier in the week saying Messi wouldn't cut it in England.

*There's that many emoticons I could use for such a statement, I'm not going to bother.

[imy9]

But he wouldn't cut it in England IMO. The tackles would come in thick and fast and I would not be surprised to see a Aaron Ramsey broken leg occurring. I say enjoy Messi while we can because I cannot see him playing at this high level in 5 years time.

[JAL]

Rooney was on TalkSport earlier in the week saying Messi wouldn't cut it in England.

*There's that many emoticons I could use for such a statement, I'm not going to bother.

That Mattyblue is because he wouldnt be playing with SEVEN world cup winners thats were the main difference would be.

Who has the most world cup winners of the CURRENT premier league teams ?

[Mattyblue]

Behave yourself, Scott bloody Parker is footballer of the year, I think Messi could do ok.