2011-2012 football (soccer) thread - Page 298

On April 19 2012 15:04 Telcontar wrote:
If you're going up against Flash, do you seriously go standard opening into standard macro game? Fuck no. You would be destroyed 10 out 10 times. You have to try and be unpredictable and tricksy, because that's your best bet. You can't blame Chelsea for playing the only style that has stopped Barca before.

On April 19 2012 04:51 sc4k wrote:
That's just what Barcelona want. Fact is that Barcelona do not play attacking enough (they pass backwards more than almost any other team I've ever seen). Watch premiership games and find out what exciting football looks like. Or just watch Barcelona curbstomp people a million times in a row with masses of money and a tactic that is less explosive than falling asleep for 90 minutes.

On April 19 2012 08:17 Sanctimonius wrote:
Hell, I've had more fun watching Swansea this year and Blackpool last year - they played their hearts out, were, often outclassed but never boring by their willingness to take risks and attack. Barca press, and they pass, and every now and again some skill gets them a goal. Spain press and pass, but because they don't have Messi, they score far less regularly, so they just press and pass again. Tactically supreme but visually boring. See how that works?

On April 19 2012 16:05 AngryLlama wrote:
I hope the football world really starts to try to emulate barcelona because it really is the most superior style in every way imo. Along with requiring to be exceptionally skilled with the ball in general, it's a very technical, attack-oriented approach which utilizes space and high pitch defense. It's the perfect foundation for an open match. A game that could be filled with great defensive opportunities due to high pitch pressure and accurate methodic passing which will lead to aesthetically pleasing goals. Most importantly for me, it would eliminate alot of sloppiness you find it all teams in the world pretty much, even RM, chelsea, MU, etc.. Examples of sloppines being: low percentage shots (from far for example), excessive long balls that lose posession >50%, inaccurate basic passing (physical), losing possesion due to not passing backwards (mental), kicking the ball out from the goalie too often, and other basic differences like those. Like rebs pretty much pointed out, it's the other teams that fail to match the overall skill and discipline of a team like barcelona. Those teams are simply outclassed in many ways so are required to play what can be called an 'ugly' style of football.. much like Chelsea today (not hating.) I don't think it's too far off to say that barcelona most likely will end up revolutionizing the approach and the way football is played . If in the future, teams start adapting and we get similar barcelona style teams playing against eachother, i believe those games will have soooo much action and without the pointless sloppiness you see in most teams in football today.

On April 19 2012 08:15 Twisted wrote:
I must say Rebs, I always agree 100% with your posts. You seem like one of the few sane people in this topic. Happy someone's posting my exact thoughts in semi-long posts because I just can't bother ^^.

On April 19 2012 16:19 Stimp wrote:


If you don't have the players for it then whats the point? Trying to play a style you are not good at is suicide.

Everyone wants people to play like barca but play to your strengths. The beauty in football is that there isn't just one way to win, and if people don't like the one style then so be it. It worked for Chelsea so to knock it is just silly. As long as there is a barcelona there will always be a team who will counter their style. Chelsea have done it, Inter did it, and other teams will do it again. I'd rather win ugly than lose trying to play a way I can't. Losing 3-0 but being praised for how attacking you played is not as nice as winning and having every bitch about it.

Barcelona have themselves to blame for not taking their opportunities when they came, while Chelsea did.

On April 19 2012 14:43 Rebs wrote:
At what point have I said theres a right way to play football. I am merely pointing out that this way is superior as far as an attacking standpoint goes. Records results, whatever you want to look at support this. I do not say you have to like a team. But suggesting they way they play is "yuck" is pretty sad. I dont criticize long ball tactics or wing play. I think its great, its entertaining. Whatever your team is capable of being good at is great. Tiki taka is not an evolution that will kill the game if it dies. Its the product of being unable to play flowing football because teams play to conservatively against you. Watch people commit to the triangles and the ball move forward. Its going to go so fast your heart wont stop beating.

On April 19 2012 16:31 Stimp wrote:


But at the same time, Mourinhos teams have proved that you can win things with the defensive style of playing. And while you enjoy watching people pass a lot, other people might enjoy defensive displays with good counter attacking play. You must admit that the counter attack for last nights goal was excellent. Pass to ramires, ramires chests, crosses to drogba, first shot goal. 4 touches for a goal as effective as 20.

On April 19 2012 14:43 Rebs wrote:
At what point have I said theres a right way to play football. I am merely pointing out that this way is superior as far as an attacking standpoint goes. Records results, whatever you want to look at support this. I do not say you have to like a team. But suggesting they way they play is "yuck" is pretty sad. I dont criticize long ball tactics or wing play. I think its great, its entertaining. Whatever your team is capable of being good at is great. Tiki taka is not an evolution that will kill the game if it dies. Its the product of being unable to play flowing football because teams play to conservatively against you. Watch people commit to the triangles and the ball move forward. Its going to go so fast your heart wont stop beating.

On April 19 2012 16:45 NuclearJudas wrote:
Barcelona is one of the best football sides today. I don't think there's anyone that will argue against that. However, saying that their way of playing football is superior is absolute bullshit. Barca have crafted their style of playing for a long time and almost only promote or transfer players that can contribute to that style. I'll even go as far as saying they've perfected their style. That said, said style can be stopped. Milan did a great job in their first leg vs Barca, and from what I saw (had to work, so I missed a lot of yesterday's game) Chelsea did too. Sometimes really ugly football can beat the far more beautiful styles of football, and we have seen that happen several times. You have a team, and you have a tactic, and if you use both very well you usually have a very dangerous combination (for your opponents). You can't just take any team and expect them to drop their identity and play like Barca. And even if they do, there's no guarantee it will be good.

There's no guaranteed best way to play football. Just ask Pep after last night.

In the later years, some of their players have gone to some pretty ridiculous lengths to get calls and cards with them. This is true for many other teams. Unfortunately especially Barcelona have gotten a reputation for being a fishy team, since many of their incidents have happened in high-profile matches (the Chelsea game comes to mind, and Busquets vs Inter).

On the game itself: Barca did have some solid chances. Sanchez had a very close one (hit the crossbar I think), Cesc was very close as well, but goal averted due to the excellent work of Cech and Cole, and the header from Puyol near the end, I think. Chelsea won from a goal from (who else?) Didier Drogba. I think this win was good for football today. It's nice to see a far less favoured team take down the team that by very many is considered to be the best in the world.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little biased against Barca (I'm a Real Madrid fan). They have good points and bad points. Everyone has to make up for themselves what they think about them. Just try to be somewhat polite when discussing them.

On April 19 2012 16:55 Pandemona wrote:Also, Drogba of old turned up last night, the player who used to get touched roll around for 80minutes of the game, but the 10minutes he is on his feet he is setting up goals scoring goals and being a right menance, sad to see as he has such talent and strength, but i only saw him get hurt once, when Puyol stepped on his balls (which i guess must hurt a fucking lot lol) but he was a tad silly, but when you win WHO GIVES A FLYING ..... :D

On April 19 2012 16:53 Rebs wrote:
Its not necessarily the style that is superior in as much as the players employing it.

On April 19 2012 17:42 sc4k wrote:
And this proves how incoherent you are being...THIS IS MY EXACT POINT. Barca are NOT playing the 'holy grail' of styles, they are just exploiting a style perfect for a team built around xavi, iniesta, messi as the engines of the team, supplying pacey guys who are good at staying onside (Villa obviously massively missing because of his unbelievable finishing). And seeing as Barca are 'just another style', I don't see why I can't hate on that style, you are allowed to hate on 5-3-2 as much as you want.

On April 19 2012 16:31 Rebs wrote:
There is no reason that even Barca will be able to maintain the way they play, let alone it becoming the natural order of how football should be played. It cant be, Its a very high skill played by a once in a lifetime set of players.

On April 19 2012 14:43 Rebs wrote:
I have at no point said that it is boring. My only arguement has been that if people find it boring, because of the lack of attacking football it is not Barcelona who is to blame.