FC Barcelona Thread [2010/11]

[Filipower]

Yep, or N'Gog.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

You know, looking at the lineups now, I'm actually surprised that Barcelona won in 2006.

 

[Xifio]

Maybe "very eccentric" is better. Nothing substantively was crazy, but his way of talking definitely is. Just stuff like

"Think quickly, look for spaces. That's what I do: look for spaces. All day. I'm always looking. All day, all day."

"Rondo, rondo, rondo. Every. Single. Day. It's the best exercise there is. You learn responsibility and not to lose the ball. If you lose the ball, you go in the middle. Pum-pum-pum-pum, always one touch."

Just stuff like that. Repeating a lot of words, getting EXTREMELY excited at just the mention of the names Rooney and Schools.

eccentric is fair enough ... and there is a distinctly different manner of speaking with different languages (as long as you don't think in one language, and translate to others) ... and yeah, like I said, the Rooney excitement was weird ... and the Scholes one was too, but I excused it -- that's not too bad if Scholesy really is one of Xavi's role models ... but the interview was conducted for an English paper, so maybe Xavi, knowing that, overcompensated with enthusiasm when discussing English football and footballers ...

He played in 6 Champions League games in 05-06 when he was 18. Sorry.

Messi has 2 Champions league titles in his personal palmares. Only an injury made him not be on the pitch in 06.

how can anyone forget Messi rolling, and rolling, and rolling, and rolling, (after he had initially glanced up to see if the ref was running over) to get del Horno sent off at the Bridge?

Intelects can take massive diarrhea dumps: now a fact.

haha ... newbie, an intellect? nice one

You know, looking at the lineups now, I'm actually surprised that Barcelona won in 2006.

you almost sound serious ...

 

[Filipower]

Well, Lehmann did get sent off...

 

[ARIAGA II]

And Henry missed everything. About the Xavi interview, I do recall him previously talking up Le Tissier as one of his heroes which I found pretty interesting.

 

[Coruja]

Real Madrid's supporters are Sporting Gijon fans since they were born.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

you almost sound serious ...

Edmilson, Van Bommel, Guily, Oleguer? Valdes was no where close to his best yet. I guess Cesc wasn't quite ready to be a super star, but to me that Arsenal squad looks better on paper. Basically had injuries to Messi, Xavi, Iniesta combined for like 20 minutes that whole game. And Deco has never been one of my favorites, although I suppose he was quite good.

Forgot mad Jens got sent off.

 

[MaSsiVe]

haha ... newbie, an intellect? nice one

making it clear: intellect as in brain , not brainiac.

 

[Xifio]

Well, Lehmann did get sent off...

And Henry missed everything.

he was talking about comparing the lineups, not about the match events ...

About the Xavi interview, I do recall him previously talking up Le Tissier as one of his heroes which I found pretty interesting.

who doesn't love a Le Tissier special? I used to keep an eye out for Soton's results and highlights, just to see if he scored from another sweet volley, or "pick-up freekick", or from a super slalom ...

Real Madrid's supporters are Sporting Gijon fans since they were born.

there's still the 2nd half ... otherwise: "FIFA virus" ...

Edmilson, Van Bommel, Guily, Oleguer? Valdes was no where close to his best yet. I guess Cesc wasn't quite ready to be a super star, but to me that Arsenal squad looks better on paper. Basically had injuries to Messi, Xavi, Iniesta combined for like 20 minutes that whole game. And Deco has never been one of my favorites, although I suppose he was quite good.

Forgot mad Jens got sent off.

by the end of 2004, Barcelona had already established themselves as the best team on the planet ... and they were hot favourites for the 05/06 Champions League ... you must have been seeing things with EPL blinkers and earmuffs on ...

 

[Filipower]

I know he was talking lineups, that's why we tried to come up with possibilities for that lineup advantage being anulled.

And I didn't say that (your third quote).

 

[Xifio]

And I didn't say that (your third quote).

haha, indeed ...

 

[ShiftyPowers]

by the end of 2004, Barcelona had already established themselves as the best team on the planet ... and they were hot favourites for the 05/06 Champions League ... you must have been seeing things with EPL blinkers and earmuffs on ...

I understand that and at the time I'm pretty sure I thought Barcelona would win. But looking at it now I'm surprised by that.

 

[Xifio]

I understand that and at the time I'm pretty sure I thought Barcelona would win. But looking at it now I'm surprised by that.

ah ok, gotcha ...

 

[Sevillista]

Is it me or has Messi been a bit selfish with the ball this season? If there is anybody on the team that I want to be selfish, it's him, but I've seen a handful of occasions this year where he had a teammate wide open to his side on a counterattack but took a shot himself. I wonder if he is feeling pressured to keep his numbers up.

That being said, he's also racking up the assists.

 

[Filipower]

Well it's clear that if Guardiola gives that freedom to keep hold of the ball to anyone it's Messi. Everyone else just gets those mig tocs going and whenever Messi has it, he gets to keep it for a while if he wants.

 

[Sevillista]

Also, Victor Valdes....

 

[Jaboldinho]

Also, Victor Valdes....

Had to happen sooner or later, had been a while from the last blunder. Shame it had to be yesterday.

Really poor 2nd half from us. Arsenal was looking dangerous from the start of the match, but around 20 minutes of play we took control. It looked like a different team when the second half started. Not good. Now we need to get the job done at Camp Nou. We can't afford another game like this.

 

[Dytza]

Had to happen sooner or later, had been a while from the last blunder. Shame it had to be yesterday.

Really poor 2nd half from us. Arsenal was looking dangerous from the start of the match, but around 20 minutes of play we took control. It looked like a different team when the second half started. Not good. Now we need to get the job done at Camp Nou. We can't afford another game like this.

These two results could be the form decrease, Pep was talking about at the start of the season. Coaches try to push this decrease to the mid of the season. Barça use to drop 2-5 points in two consecutive games. Remember in 08-09 with 2-2 at Betis than 4-3 on Calderon. Probably those were these matches.

Anyway, beside Arsenal's great team, Wenger genius and everything else, I give a lot of credit to Arsenal fans for this comeback.

I hope we have the strength to qualify for 1/4 in the 2nd leg. Whichever the qualified team is, Arsenal and Barcelona showed the best possible football in the last 2-3 seasons.

 

[Xifio]

no one's mentioned Iniesta being virtually invisible last night yet?

Is it me or has Messi been a bit selfish with the ball this season?

...

I wonder if he is feeling pressured to keep his numbers up.

I've always felt he's been gradually getting more selfish over the years (since we saw him debut in 04/05), as he gradually realized his growing importance in the team ... but he hardly messes up when he puts himself in range, so it just seems more apparent on those rare occasions when he hasn't delivered the killer blow ...

and maybe he is thinking about the numbers too, considering they are such an integral part of the media-fueled rivalry between himself and Cristiano ...

If there is anybody on the team that I want to be selfish, it's him, but I've seen a handful of occasions this year where he had a teammate wide open to his side [] but took a shot himself.

he should have squared that one to David Villa; the angle, even with curl, was always going to see a shot hit the side netting ...

 

[Sevillista]

Had to happen sooner or later, had been a while from the last blunder. Shame it had to be yesterday.

Really poor 2nd half from us. Arsenal was looking dangerous from the start of the match, but around 20 minutes of play we took control. It looked like a different team when the second half started. Not good. Now we need to get the job done at Camp Nou. We can't afford another game like this.

I really don't think Barcelona played too poorly in the second half. It was more evenly matched, and Arsenal capitalized on their scoring chances. Barca lacked creativity in front of goal, but they kept possession for much of the second half.