Champions League: Semi-finals 20. - 28.4. 2010

[Shaggy]

I thought you were mid 20's. oops.

Mid 20s, early 30s...same ****ing thing innit?!?

[Mike]

Mid 20s, early 30s...same ****ing thing innit?!?

To a early 30's guy maybe

Just trying to stay hip n young are we shaggy

[Shaggy]

I was mid-20's just a couple of years ago FFS, nothing's changed

[Vermilion]

Mid 20s, early 30s...same ****ing thing innit?!?

No. 6yrs is a long time....wait till your older...you'll see.

[Shaggy]

No. 6yrs is a long time.

[Shanks]

For those who don't remember, we have played and beaten (Without Torres)

Ronaldinho, Marquez, Saviola, Xavi, Puyol and Messi at The Nou Camp

Who'd of thought eh?


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igaq8xkdXFA"]YouTube- liverpool vs barca[/ame]

[fah-q]

30's is the new 20's anyway.

[Vermilion]

To a early 30's guy maybe

Just trying to stay hip n young are we shaggy

[Shaggy]

For those who don't remember, we have played and beaten (Without Torres)

Ronaldinho, Saviola, Xavi, Puyol and Messi at The Nou Camp

Who'd of thought eh?

We'd never do that again under Rafa.


YouTube- liverpool vs barca

Why?

[Shaggy]

30's is the new 20's anyway.

People in their 20s are just kids, naive inexperienced kids.

[Reece]

For those who don't remember, we have played and beaten (Without Torres)

Ronaldinho, Saviola, Xavi, Puyol and Messi at The Nou Camp

Who'd of thought eh?

We'd never do that again under Rafa.


YouTube- liverpool vs barca

We also beat Inter in the San Siro the following year. Not bad that eh.

[fah-q]

We also beat Inter in the San Siro the following year. Not bad that eh.

Then Real in their own backyard the year after.

[Reece]

Then Real in their own backyard the year after.

[Shaggy]

Then Real in their own backyard the year after.

But of course based on one **** season we'll never do it again.

[Craig_H]

I thought you were mid 20's. oops. Don't know why i came to that conclusion though, i suppose you just build up a mental picture of people on the web without realising.

there's sod all difference between mid 20s and 31 really

What I will acknowledge is how well-drilled they were in defence. In theory it's easy to just string nine men in staggered positions across the edge of your box - which is exactly what they did - but it's another thing to all move as a unit and shuffle across into the right position, especially against a team like Barca.

Mourinho does that brilliantly but so does Rafa. In that sense they're no different.

Rafa is the master at it. I know we've been all over the shop this season but in a defensive sense it's an absolute anomaly. Rafa's trademark is being amazingly well organised, as if he has the players responding to his remote control, as someone once said.

But yeah they defended brilliantly tonight against the best footballing team on the planet. No arguments with that at all.

This is gonna sound silly, but it reminds me a bit of how i sometimes play on Pro Evo if i'm playing a mate who's got a superstar team, like Barca.

Five across the back, two holding midfielders, one advanced CM and 2 strikers - and what that system relies on is strong big defenders who hold firm under pressure, but crucially, the 3 non defensive players all need to be good - that way, you actually can pose a genuine threat when you do get the ball forward, as well as holding firm at the back.

I think in terms of theory and intent, Rafa's system is similar. Solid back four, 2 holding CMs to protect and then 4 players who in theory, are the ones that should be winning you the game. Our problem is that of those 4, only 2 are genuinely massive attacking threats. The two 'wide' lads are asked to work back, work hard and keep their shape. Whether Rafa HAS the tools to use the attacking four as four top class attacking threats, is another issue but if he hasnt, he's had time to have recruited such options.

Mourinho has it in Milito, who's a pure goalscorer and strong enough to hold the ball up, Eto'o who is obviously a goalscorer and has pace, and Sneijder who is creative, intelligent enough to keep the ball and poses a threat himself.

It's actually the ideal system to stop a flair side like Barca, with so much quality in their ranks. Defend strongly as a powerful unit, stifle them, frustrate them and when you DO have the ball in advanced areas, you have three players who can really hurt the opposition and get you a goal.

Obviously the red card ****ed that up a little for them as it restricted Eto'o and Sneijder a bit too, but on paper, i think it's a fantastic system, if you have the right personnel.