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

[Norf Tyrone]

My take is that I have rarely seen a team in all my years watching football play like Barcelona do. The pass, and move laced with skills is unreal, and that cannot be debated.

However the question remains about what is their 'plan B'?

In reality (And don't wade into a Chelsea debate here) that's two years in a row where they dominated a semi final opponent over two legs in terms of passing, posession etc etc but have collected only three goals in that period. Last year they got lucky, this year they didn't.

[Boycey]

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.

I do, I'm old enough to remember the original exponents of it ....


Again I'll repeat I'm not knocking Barcelona I thoroughly enjoy watching them and they have been worthy European Champions but I think the media etc has built them up into something they're not... ie some mythical superteam.

[Rossie11]

Take your point Norf and I think their plan B was supposed to be Ibra.
For the past few years the likes of Chelsea had bullied and outmuscled them in big games.
They won some and lost some of the battles
They knew they needed to change tact in order to compete physically.
Ibra has the size and the skill to be a target man and tie up tough tackling centre halves to create room for the likes of Messi and Iniesta but he has been largely disappointing so far.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Take your point Norf and I think their plan B was supposed to be Ibra.
For the past few years the likes of Chelsea had bullied and outmuscled them in big games.
They won some and lost some of the battles
They knew they needed to change tact in order to compete physically.
Ibra has the size and the skill to be a target man and tie up tough tackling centre halves to create room for the likes of Messi and Iniesta but he has been largely disappointing so far.

But does he have the balls...

[Celt_Man]

Only after seeing the after match craic there now...  While it was a marvellous victory for Inter masterminded by Mourinho - he could have had a bit more class in the way he celebrated at the end.  And I know Guardiola was at it last year too at Stamford Bridge, it was equally distasteful.

Also I presume the section of the crowd where Mourinho stood in front of had the Inter fans in the top tier otherwise if it was just Barcelona fans then he should get slapped with a ban for the final.

And what were they at putting on the sprinklers at the end... very very petty.  Will have lost them a lot of neutral fans I'd say

[AZOffaly]

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.

I do, I'm old enough to remember the original exponents of it ....


Again I'll repeat I'm not knocking Barcelona I thoroughly enjoy watching them and they have been worthy European Champions but I think the media etc has built them up into something they're not... ie some mythical superteam.

This is slightly tangential to my 'Won't somebody think of the Children' rant about cheating (by both teams last night) but I agree with this Boycey. I have heard a couple of pundits say that this Barcelona team is the best club team of all time. Yes, that is not a typo, nor is it paraphrasing.

Some pundits think that this particular Barca team is better than Zidanes Real, Cruyff's Ajax, Dalglish's Liverpool, Di Stefano's Madrid, Beckenbaur's Bayern etc etc. Apart from the difficulty of comparing teams from different eras, I think it's a staggering statement to say that Barca are the best team of all time.

They are a very good team, who play lovely football.

[Rossie11]

It is only in the past month that the hype machine has kicked in.
They have played like that for the guts of 5 years and only when they lashed one of their
prized EPL teams did sky/beeb lose the plot and go over the top.

i.e they beat us =they must be supermen 

[Billys Boots]

I didn't see Messi look for a penalty once last night. Jim Beglin said he was looking for one when Chivu took the ball off his toe and Lucio came in after the ball was gone and absolutely flattened him. The momentum rolled him once and he got back up.

That's how I saw it too - that was typical of how Inter played; nick the ball off the toe and a third man clatters into the 'melee'.  As a neutral, I thought four of Lucio's 'tackles' in the box should have been penalised.  But he managed to make these tackles by feigning a fall or similar - master of the dark arts (and I dind't think he had the brains for it before last night).  Romeo Gentile eat yer heart out!

[bingobus]

Iniesta was a miss last night in fairness for running at Inter. But luckily for them I don't think they'll meet too many teams like Inter over the course of a season.

[AZOffaly]

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

He was definitely more a fighter than a lover .

[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

[Main Street]

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.

I do, I'm old enough to remember the original exponents of it ....


Again I'll repeat I'm not knocking Barcelona I thoroughly enjoy watching them and they have been worthy European Champions but I think the media etc has built them up into something they're not... ie some mythical superteam.

I don't pay attention to the media or pundits just what I see on the pitch.

You remember Irish legend Frank Stapleton? he is what you'd call Ireland's only decent total footballer (in the classic interpretation).
Interestingly Cruyff signed him for Ajax, but at the end of his effective playing career.
The classic interpretation is that a player can play in any position.
Here Barca have brought it on to another level, ie 11 players on the same wavelength, the forwards and attacking midfielders  obsessively closing down in their part of the field.
Mourinho adopted the correct tactic in Milan, with the ball being hoofed it to the corners.

[gallsman]

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.

[bingobus]

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.

[Boycey]

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.

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.

I do, I'm old enough to remember the original exponents of it ....


Again I'll repeat I'm not knocking Barcelona I thoroughly enjoy watching them and they have been worthy European Champions but I think the media etc has built them up into something they're not... ie some mythical superteam.

I don't pay attention to the media or pundits just what I see on the pitch.

You remember Irish legend Frank Stapleton? he is what you'd call Ireland's only decent total footballer (in the classic interpretation).
Interestingly Cruyff signed him for Ajax, but at the end of his effective playing career.
The classic interpretation is that a player can play in any position.
Here Barca have brought it on to another level, ie 11 players on the same wavelength, the forwards and attacking midfielders  obsessively closing down in their part of the field.
Mourinho adopted the correct tactic in Milan, with the ball being hoofed it to the corners.

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.