Star wars final battle a.k.a "El clásico" [P+R]

[Arnau]

Time to conquer bernabéu again.

 

[Arnau]

i think its going to be.

-----Valdés--------
Alves-Piqué-Milito-Puyol
----Sergio-Xavi------
Iniesta---Messi----Keita
--------Henry---------

None is expeting Henry and that make him more dangerous. Tití still didn't play his 2 last good matches with us.

btw, why do you put Milito LB? he can't.

 

[Xifio]

Ibra is not included on the list of 19 players that will travel to Madrid.

This is worrying me a bit.

hopefully it is precautionary, because there are some big matches coming up, and Zlatan's presence for all those would be better than if he was rushed back for this match, only to make his injury worse ... plus, Messi is in form right now, and even just a draw in this one will be enough ...

Barcelona fans (world over) are WAY too overconfident about this one ... Real Madrid have individuals that can change a game on their own ... the biggest threat is obviously Cristiano Ronaldo, whose pace, and whose preference of running directly at defenders at full pace, could easily cause problems ...

Pep seems to be smart enough not to let that feeling of overconfidence pervade the dressing room ... this match is as much about gaining the psychological edge for the remainder of the season as it is about gaining points ...

 

[MaestroZidane]

If I don't see Raul on the pitch, then I'll be more confident.. Also Guti, but I would give him some minutes...

 

[Dytza]

-----Valdés--------
Alves-Piqué-Milito-Puyol
----Sergio-Xavi------
Iniesta---Messi----Keita
--------Henry---------

Why Puyol? That would be a slap in Maxwell's face who's done pretty well in last matches. Also he played good in Arsenal match when he entert to substitute Abidal?

Why would Pep put a CB in LB when we have a fit, decent LB in the squad?!

 

[Mus]

barcelona 3-1 madrid

i just cant see madrid getting anything out of this unless injuries or red cards occur for barcelona

 

[ArgVega]

-----------Valdés------------
-----------------------------
Alves---Piqué---Milito---Maxwell
-----------------------------
--------Sergio---Xavi--------
-----------------------------
---Iniesta---Messi----Keita---
-----------------------------
------------Bojan------------

Real 1 - 3 Barca
(1 Higuain, 2 Messi, 1 Bojan)

 

[Arnau]

Because Milito is playing awesome and madrid players are too fast.

 

[Jaboldinho]

Don't see Puyol not playing, but I do believe there is a big chance Pique will start at the bench, after his injury and Milito's solid performance against Arsenal.

 

[Mandieta6]

Pep has managed to at the top level for less than 2 years. To say he's smarter than Arsene or SAF, much less both of them, is tripe. Admittedly they've both made mistakes, but they're still wiser than Pep, I'd say.

 

[ArgVega]

Pep has managed to at the top level for less than 2 years. To say he's smarter than Arsene or SAF, much less both of them, is tripe. Admittedly they've both made mistakes, but they're still wiser than Pep, I'd say.

I would have to say that SAF and Arsene have alot more experience than Pep, but that doesn't necessarily make them smarter than him.

They all have made mistakes against each, and in the return leg it took messi to save us from the jaws of elimination, in the UCL final last year it was samu's goal that got the ball rolling.

I credit Pep more for having our players in great form, he makes mistakes in his tactics sometimes, but as has been pointed out, here at Barca there is only a Plan A. You can see he is starting to play around with formations as its nice to see, but I think he still has quite some years left before he can match the experience of SAF and Arsene.

You can see Arsene and SAF change tactics and formations from game to game, and that has alot to do with their experience of playing against so many different teams and managing so many in they're managerial careers. I think thats what makes them at this time better than Pep, they can formulate game plans better than Pep from their massive ammounts of experience in competitions.

But Pep has his teams in unreal form, sometimes better than SAF and Arsene do, which is also commendable itself.

 

[Ulysses]

every coach can do tactics. The difference between bad and good coaches is their ability to motivate players, mount them psychological and physical and earn their respect and attachement. From what I've seen Guardiola is master at these things, above Fergie and Wenger.

 

[Mandieta6]

While many of Barca's players have been in amazing form under Pep, and he's known to be a good motivator (although I believe this stems from those videos he's made, and I find it ludicrous that he's given so much credit for that. He should be credited for it, it was a nice idea, but it's not a masterstroke by any means), I think sometimes you mistake class for form. Barca's players simply outclass 90% of their opposition, you don't need to be in form to beat, or even thrash, half of La Liga. So I wouldn't say Barca's great runs have always been down to players been in-form, so much as them simply being better.

And again, I'm not saying Pep hasn't gotten some players laying great footie, or that Barca's players aren't in form. I just think, and always have, that Pep is very overrated in pretty much every aspect of his job.

 

[adedawson]

SAF built his team from winning nothing, from the ground up with english teams being banned from Europe, going from 11th place nobodies to Winning league titles that hadn't been achieved since the 60's! He then gone onto help build the global brand which is United. Pep was handed a team of Super Stars. You cant compare them. There in a different class.

 

[Arnau]

that team of super stars + Ronaldinho and Deco end behind Villarreal and doesn't win anything in 2 years.

 

[adedawson]

that team of super stars + Ronaldinho and Deco end behind Villarreal and doesn't win anything in 2 years.

Are you serious? Barca had a wealth of talent. Are you already forgetting what Ronaldinho and co did for you.

Your complaining about not winning anything for 2 years and having Ronaldinho on your team! Not to mention all the other Stars.

Try going 23 years without winning anything. Thats what Saf had to manage and build upon.

That post is a reply to a guy who claims that is the smartest person in the World. If you claim so for yourself as well, see it as my reply, if not, then, I'll reply to this post after a couple of days.

That didn't make much sense to me. I'll blame in on the language barrier.

Anyway I'll let you carry on with your classico discussion. I'm not sure why the hell SAF was brought up in this.

 

[Mandieta6]

La Liga Champions
Copa Del Rey Winners
Champions League Winners
Spanish SuperCup Winners
European SuperCup Winners
Club World Cup Winners


That's THE WHOLE WORLD.



You can envy him as much as you want, but the reality is different.

Yeah, with the Ibra thing, he showed that he's smarter than SAF and Wenger. Even though he has only 2-3 years experience as a coach, he didn't make the mistake of pushing an injured player go out and play.

And btw, he's beaten both of them, SAF and Wenger. Besides he's smarter than them, he's also better manager than them.

Oh, he hasn't beaten them, but he has [Mandieta6] trashed [/Mandieta6] both of them.


Your reply: It were players, bla bla bla ...

So beating a team once means the manager is smarter and better? Because a manager's ability is obviously the only factor on display at any match. Give me a break. Rubin beat Barca, are they better? Their manager must be, they beat you. The Ibra thing is retarded because it's not the same situation at all. Taking the Rooney case as an example, Fergie knew he needed Rooney because Rooney carries the team and they had a lot depending on staying in the CL. Not to mention that the physios at the club said Rooney was good to go, and if reports are to be belived, Rooney will be available for the derby, which was the original return date. Even if he could've played at Blackburn and now can't, he doesn't need Rooney at Blackburn but needed him at Bayern. He actually helped the team get close to winning.

Ibra on the other hand is nowhere near as important as Rooney to his team, in a match that wasn't as difficult for his team as SAF's, and he had apt replacement he trusted, unlike SAF. A good manager makes tough decisions, when has Pep ever had to do anything like that? Actually, it looks like most of his decisions have gone wrong. He overpaid for Ibra and Chygry, neither of which turned out to be as good as expected of them. Tactically, if I understood the club correctly, the scheme was imposed on him and he was elected because he understood it. He didn't bring anything new to the table and has only recently started tinkering with it, and still, normally just individual instructions, nothing big. Even Barca fans admit he's lacking on that front, and that he has no Plan B.

And you're trying to take away from a very big point. Pep had a team of superstars at his disposal, and the core of it is the same. I maintain that they deserve more credit than Pep. A great manager makes an average team great. Barca was amazing. Now look at ManU and Arsenal at different times. The overall quality has mostly been lower than an at any point in Pep's reign. And both managers have built and rebuilt their sides, creating legacies and winning titles. I'd like to see Pep give that a go.

And lol at a retard going down the ad hominem route.

 

[Arnau]

Pep was already coach in his footballer times. And Mandieta6, he has no plan B? he won matches with his interventions.

 

[adedawson]

So beating a team once means the manager is smarter and better? Because a manager's ability is obviously the only factor on display at any match. Give me a break. Rubin beat Barca, are they better? Their manager must be, they beat you. The Ibra thing is retarded because it's not the same situation at all. Taking the Rooney case as an example, Fergie knew he needed Rooney because Rooney carries the team and they had a lot depending on staying in the CL. Not to mention that the physios at the club said Rooney was good to go, and if reports are to be belived, Rooney will be available for the derby, which was the original return date. Even if he could've played at Blackburn and now can't, he doesn't need Rooney at Blackburn but needed him at Bayern. He actually helped the team get close to winning.

Ibra on the other hand is nowhere near as important as Rooney to his team, in a match that wasn't as difficult for his team as SAF's, and he had apt replacement he trusted, unlike SAF. A good manager makes tough decisions, when has Pep ever had to do anything like that? Actually, it looks like most of his decisions have gone wrong. He overpaid for Ibra and Chygry, neither of which turned out to be as good as expected of them. Tactically, if I understood the club correctly, the scheme was imposed on him and he was elected because he understood it. He didn't bring anything new to the table and has only recently started tinkering with it, and still, normally just individual instructions, nothing big. Even Barca fans admit he's lacking on that front, and that he has no Plan B.

And you're trying to take away from a very big point. Pep had a team of superstars at his disposal, and the core of it is the same. I maintain that they deserve more credit than Pep. A great manager makes an average team great. Barca was amazing. Now look at ManU and Arsenal at different times. The overall quality has mostly been lower than an at any point in Pep's reign. And both managers have built and rebuilt their sides, creating legacies and winning titles. I'd like to see Pep give that a go.

And lol at a retard going down the ad hominem route.

your so annoying, you make it hard to oppose anything you say. You back up your arguments with fact then deliver the line and sinker.

I have to agree with almost everything you said there.

 

[adedawson]

Yes. With the Ibra thing he proved he's smarter than SAF and Wenger. With smarter, I didn't mean smarter in every aspect of life, but smarter on that issue. Playing an injured player is always a risk and Pep experienced that with Iniesta and Henry on 27th May 2009. While, SAF and Wenger, with more than 20 years experience in coaching, did that mistake with Rooney and Cesc respectively.

Your missing the point. Rooney was played due to the huge influence he has on the team, when both the physio and Rooney himself gave the all clear. He's has then played the most important matches missing nothing of importance.

*edit*

EDIT:

No. He only has good writing skills that in the first look, convince you on a certain issue, but if you look deeper on his posts, you see that there are things that are totally different in reality.

For example:

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME????

DO I REALLY NEED TO REPLY TO THAT STUPID COMMENT?

lol he's only trying to push your buttons with over exaggeration and its worked.