Football Season 2012/2013

[Northern Goblin]

Barcelona don't have a Plan B, for years they never needed one because people tried to play their game, and failed to realise that Barca are one of the best at playing free flow football of all time.


Then Chelsea parked the bus, and Barca had no clue what the hell to do against counter attack offensive, they still don't.

[laffling]

Barca have got to get a true striker which they can turn 2 when they cant just pass it into the net, ever since Chelsea they have needed a plan B

[mirodin]

Nah infact he's probably scored the most solo goals Iv ever seen, he often picks the ball up 35 yards from goal and either takes out 2-3 players before scoring or just smashes into the corner. I don't think there's a player that can match his highlight reel of goals.

I know of one, the King of Highbury, Thiery Henry. Even when you don't count his MLS goals. Betwen solo goals, long shots, free kicks, even headers he can match Messi's. Also i'm not counting Messi as the best player that ever lived, but i don't want to enter that discusion again.

@ Fangore RVP was the third best player in the world last seaons and he continues doing more of the same, there simply isn't a price in football for a player like that no matter the age. The only reasoning i could give to myself so i don't cry is that he has a bad injury record and 1 good season, but as we can see he needs less then a mm of space to score, or create something. As for Llorente, he is in the mix, so is Huntelaar.

[Farolok]

No doubt there will be some backlash against that sort of result (as there was a fortnight ago) which Lennon will laugh off and say "well, all that matters is the result right?" but you cannot ignore the fact Celtic basically pulled off the biggest mugging in Glasgow for years - credit where it's due, they beat Barcelona, but if that game had continued another 10 minutes they were toast. They got the three points tonight, but it's also cost them 5 points domestically as they've pissed about on a hiding to nothing in Europe disrespecting the league in the process by resting players knowing that the league is a foregone conclusion, which if I'm the SPL I'm none too impressed by.

I couldn't disagree with this more. When you're playing against Barcelona you can't afford to go out as an offensive unit, any team who does so is slaughtered. Mourinho done it with Inter Milan, he had his team sit back and absorb pressure for as long as they could and hit them on the break. In Messi's interview he said himself "We had the chances, but the ball wouldn't go in the net". The object of the game is to score, you can fanny about with all the possesion you like but if you can't make it work it's useless.

Celtic are a small team, with an entire squad value of that of Barcelonas kit man. They done what had to be done against Barcelona, using a tactic which many teams (including much bigger teams) fail to make work against what many call the greatest club side of all time. You can say Celtic mugged Barcelona off all you want, but in all honesty they went out with a gameplan and stuck to it, looking disciplined right up until they conceded.

[Deleted]

I know of one, the King of Highbury, Thiery Henry. Even when you don't count his MLS goals. Betwen solo goals, long shots, free kicks, even headers he can match Messi's. Also i'm not counting Messi as the best player that ever lived, but i don't want to enter that discusion again.

Yeah Henry scored his fair share to, another world class player at his peak. The thing is Messi probably has another 8 seasons in him at least and he's already crushing records and scoring top class goals on a regular basis, what sort of stats is he going to have when he retires :S it's scary thinking about it...I mean last season he scored 73 goals and also finished top of the assists table in Europe with 23 assists....how is that even possible?

[mirodin]

Yeah Henry scored his fair share to, another world class player at his peak. The thing is Messi probably has another 8 seasons in him at least and he's already crushing records and scoring top class goals on a regular basis, what sort of stats is he going to have when he retires :S it's scary thinking about it...I mean last season he scored 73 goals and also finished top of the assists table in Europe with 23 assists....how is that even possible?

It's the way Barca play, they create a lot of chances and that starts with Xavi and Iniesta, also the quality diference betwen Barca and Real and the rest of the Spanish league is huge. For example Mario Gomez had the same goal taly as Messi in the CL last season, so goals are not everything. I'm denying that he is trully great player and that when all is said and done he would be in the top 3 players ever to play, but he still has things to win and to prove.

[Deleted]

You have to remember Barcelona still didn't win anything last year though, yet he scored over 70 goals and had 23 assists, he's making more goals than anybody else without even mentioning the 70 he scored. I just find it insane, as if 70 goals wasn't enough.

[mirodin]

You have to remember Barcelona still didn't win anything last year though, yet he scored over 70 goals and had 23 assists, he's making more goals than anybody else without even mentioning the 70 he scored. I just find it insane, as if 70 goals wasn't enough.

They won the spanish cup, if you can count that. Ozil had 24 assits last seaons not counting International games, but the combination of 70 and 23 i don't think it will be matched for a while.

[Larath]

wasn't barcelonas standard score a season or so ago 5-0 wins and that kinda speaks how big the difference is and how strong barcelona is when they get to play their own play against someone going offensive.

[Flay-]

Cavani 4 goals. Number 1 world.

[Northern Goblin]

Nani ruled out injured for 10 days with a hamstring injury.

Means we'll have to play the ridiculously well in form Anderson instead, what a shame.

[koodledrum]

you think Anderson smacked him one in training just to get a run in the side

[laffling]

Does anyone actually like Nani? I know i don't like him because he does good 1 day then plays terrible the next 4

[EqualWin]

barca doesn't need a plan b how they do they do it perfectly.. but their defense isn't like the best. many injured players and shits.. so that's why 2/3 celtic shots were goal and they really need a better goalkeeper something like casillas/lloris , valdes maybe play the barca playstyle good but still too many mistakes and doesn't have too many good "saves" when they are needed

[Nerph-]

Does anyone actually like Nani? I know i don't like him because he does good 1 day then plays terrible the next 4

I'm not too keen on him, for the exact reason you stated. He just doesn't play well the last season(s) in general. It wouldn't surprise me if we see him go at the end of this season.

Some people say he tries to be like Ronaldo but can't pull it off. Not sure if I'd go that far myself, but either way, he just generally doesn't play well.

[Northern Goblin]

I don't dislike him, I just think he's gotten extremely complacent and lazy. He's an absolute brilliant footballer when he puts the effort in, when he doesn't he's a waste of space.

The latter is frustrating.

[Larath]

what is up with arsenal of late, if you want goals come around, we got plenty off them obviously we miss the penalty we are finally given at home (although it was slightly dubious so kinda glad we didn't win on that).

[Nerph-]

The constant boo'ing when Young gets the ball is getting rather tedious tbh and we're only 15 mins into the game....

[Northern Goblin]

Who does Anderson have to stab to get a game these days?

[Nerph-]

Who does Anderson have to stab to get a game these days?

Apparently stabbing Nani wasn't enough...