Champions League Semi Finals Barca v Inter/B Munich V Lyon

[ross4life]

You are cup half empty guy AZ

Barca have brought the game of total football to new levels these last 3 seasons, providing long stretches of pure creativity never before seen. They have literally destroyed class teams, ripped them apart with their brilliance. They are not perfect, at least not yet. It's pretty scary to see where they can go, if they can build on this team.

no offence but thats bullshit..

Not knocking Barca, super team with one absolutely extraordinary talent but bought total football to new levels this last three seasons really???

You do understand the tactical term of "total football" ?

One example from last night, with a tall defender turning on a sixpence to score a well taken striker's goal.

But surely if that defender is poor at defending that point is moot

Laughable. Piqué is one of the best centre-halves in Europe.

Piqué is a good one but how would he have fared if he switched places with Lucio/Samuel last night?

[ross4life]

Does anyone remember the Great Red Star Belgrade team from 1991 (boring final) but in the other games they played brilliant Football & a lot of that team were the former Yugoslavia team that would have won the European Cup if not for the War (Denmark took there place)

Also Steaua Bucuresti 1986 European Cup winners were a Great team i think at the time they went 3 years unbeaten in there own league?

Less known teams today yes! but i guess if your Real Madrid, Barcelona or United you get more hype

The Red star team probably destroyed there reputation due to that final. I was looking at the fourfourtwo magazine recently and they had a pull out on the 1990 world cup and one of the highlights was the Yugoslavia team of the day, was a savage line up and it was really the last time they graced the big stage together as it went pear shaped after that for them.

Yep was some team alright they walked the European championships Qualifying group(1991) but had to pull out of that too

Darko Pančev (Red star/yugoslavia) is still one of the best strikers Ive seen

[Billys Boots]

Who's Romeo Gentile? Is he related to Claudio Gentile?

He was definitely more a fighter than a lover.

Have you never heard of irony Biffo?

[Minder]

Pancev was rubbish when he went to Inter if memory serves me right.

[AZOffaly]

Who's Romeo Gentile? Is he related to Claudio Gentile?

He was definitely more a fighter than a lover.

Have you never heard of irony Biffo?

No, but I've heard of lads mixing up Benetti and Gentile though

[ross4life]

Pancev was rubbish when he went to Inter if memory serves me right.

kinda like Henry with Arsenal/Barca 

[Main Street]

You will have to explain to me about Frank Stapleton cause i've lost ur point somewhere..

I could argue all day with u about this, I'm not even sure the way Barca play can be described as total football in its purest terms.

I thought we were just discussing
Frank was a close to home example of a classic total footballer, as it was understood and practiced by the Dutch.
Barca do it differently now. They do total football but do it differently, imo, at a different level.
Cruyff is the architect of Barca's style and would be purring at the work rate of the players to choke the opposition.

[ross4life]

i always thought Liam Brady was Irelands total footballer?

[Main Street]

Did you ever see Liam play centre half or centre forward?

[ross4life]

Did you ever see Liam play centre half or centre forward?

no but did you ever see Iniesta & Xavi play centre half or Centre forward

[Main Street]

Did you ever see Liam play centre half or centre forward?

no but did you ever see Iniesta & Xavi play centre half or Centre forward

To recap, I said Frank was Ireland´s only decent total footballer as it was/is  classically defined.
I also said Barca play the total football formation differently, Iniesta and Xavi close down and do the defending high up the pitch.
And as much as I rate Liam as one of the small group of our best ever players, I rarely saw him defend high up the pitch. Liam's ideal midfield partner would have been a Viera type player.

[Boycey]

You will have to explain to me about Frank Stapleton cause i've lost ur point somewhere..

I could argue all day with u about this, I'm not even sure the way Barca play can be described as total football in its purest terms.

I thought we were just discussing
Frank was a close to home example of a classic total footballer, as it was understood and practiced by the Dutch.
Barca do it differently now. They do total football but do it differently, imo, at a different level.
Cruyff is the architect of Barca's style and would be purring at the work rate of the players to choke the opposition.

Ok discussing, I love a good discussion .... Frank was a good striker who played a bit at centre back when pressed into service. Most notably 1983 Milk Cup final when Gordon McQueen or maybe Kevin Moran got injured?? Also played a bit in midfield late late in his career when he couldn't run, don't think he was a total footballer though. In that era it wasn't that rare for a fella to play centre forward and centre back

[SambaSaffron]

[Main Street]

Ok discussing, I love a good discussion .... Frank was a good striker who played a bit at centre back when pressed into service. Most notably 1983 Milk Cup final when Gordon McQueen or maybe Kevin Moran got injured?? Also played a bit in midfield late late in his career when he couldn't run, don't think he was a total footballer though. In that era it wasn't that rare for a fella to play centre forward and centre back

That was a cup final you were thinking of, when Moran got sent off.
Frank also played midfield in the old first division to a ripe enough age.
It isn't that he could just fill in at centre half, he could play the centre half role with distinction, that was rare enough for an Irish footballer.
Chris Sutton was a Frank-like player.

[Boycey]

Ok discussing, I love a good discussion .... Frank was a good striker who played a bit at centre back when pressed into service. Most notably 1983 Milk Cup final when Gordon McQueen or maybe Kevin Moran got injured?? Also played a bit in midfield late late in his career when he couldn't run, don't think he was a total footballer though. In that era it wasn't that rare for a fella to play centre forward and centre back

That was a cup final you were thinking of, when Moran got sent off.
Frank also played midfield in the old first division to a ripe enough age.
It isn't that he could just fill in at centre half, he could play the centre half role with distinction, that was rare enough for an Irish footballer.
Chris Sutton was a Frank-like player.

Was a Milk Cup Final, Moran off injured with Lou Macari replacing him then McQueen gets injured too(only one sub in them days) so he goes up front and Frank plays at the back. I know, i know i'm a nerd 

This is miles away from where we started, anyway Barcelona good team just not that good