The Barcelona v Real Madrid thread

[kris90210]

The rate at which the Barca players close down the opposition, I'm surprised no one has tried to tire them out. Rope a dope ****. Keep the ball and let them chase. Out Barca Barca. Obviously the way which they press so quickly makes it very difficult and so you need players who are extremely comfourtable on the ball (as Barca do). You would think that of all the clubs in the world, Real would be best placed to put this sort of side together.

On top of that, I would say that their defence lacks balance. Because Alves is so attacking they quite often only have 3 men at the back. I've not seen anyone exploit this properly.

Finally, you look at their defence. Ok Pique is a big guy, but I don't really see him as being aerially dominant in the sense that Vidic is. I reckon someone like Caroll would cause the Barca defence all sorts of problems. Of course, they'd be falling all over the place, so it would depend on the strength of the referee.

Last night, Madrid showed zero composure when clearing their lines. Hoofed it up the pitch and found themselves right back at square 1. Which is surprising given that Alonso iss exactly the sort of player who can add calm in that situation.

That's my armchair manager view! haha

[Tatterdemalion]

I wonder, are there still people on this site who want that dick head Mourinho in charge of Liverpool?

You know who you were...

[Shaggy]

Champions League press reaction: 'Mourinho has perverted history'

• Real Madrid coach under fire in Spanish press
• Adebayor: 'Every time you touch Barcelona they cry like babies'

Chris Taylor
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 28 April 2011 12.36 BST

If José Mourinho was feeling disgusted after Barcelona's controversial 2-0 victory over his Real Madrid team, the Spanish press contained little to soothe his feelings.

While figures from both sides offered predictably opposed views about the dismissal of Pepe which had such a major effect on the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Bernabéu, most commentators took a dim view of the Portuguese coach's approach to the game and his complaints afterwards.

Marca awarded the German referee, Wolfgang Stark, only 3/10 and noted that in the past four Clásicos Madrid had ended up playing with 10 men and that when Mourinho had faced Barcelona with Internazionale and Chelsea (twice) he had also had a man sent off. But Marca's bloggers were less sympathetic to the Portuguese.

Roberto Palomar referred to Mourinho's "Jurassic football" and claimed: "Mourinho has perverted history and has lost the emotional boost that used to go with taking the field at the Bernabéu in the European Cup. Before they played with a 12th man. Nowadays, with 10."

Fernando Carreño suggested that rather than complain about the refereeing, Madrid fans should question Pepe's studs-up challenge and Raúl Albiol's grabbing of Pedro Rodríguez's throat, ask why Kaká and Gonzalo Higuaín were left on the bench after dazzling against Valencia "or if the best that Real Madrid with a squad costing €500m can do is to leave the ball with the best ball-playing side in the world and play on the counterattack".

He went on: "To be forever complaining, and especially with complaints of this nature, doesn't seem to be a credible or acceptable posture" for someone in Mourinho's position. "Real Madrid, in my opinion, is a great club that deserves something better. If your approach is results-based and you don't get the result, what's left?"

In an online poll more than 72% of Marca's readers disagreed with Mourinho's comments that referees favoured Barcelona. (Some 78% felt Pepe's red card was correct.)

El País praised Barcelona and Lionel Messi in particular for striking down a "rickety" Real Madrid who, it said, had been inferior before and after Pepe's sending-off and whose only tactic was to frustrate Barcelona. It did, though, observe that for all their superiority Barça had had only two real chances in the first half. "For along time Barcelona have done more playing than scoring."

Barcelona-based Mundo Deportivo gloried in their team's victory under the headline "A foot and half in Wembley". It also published a handy recapitulation of Real Madrid's disciplinary record pointing out that the merengues were Europe's most punished club for non-sporting matters.

AS, on the other hand, reported that referee Stark had entered in Madrid's rogues gallery. "His mistake was to show a red that should have been yellow, but his worst sin was to leave us without any football to analyse … because for a long time to come all that will be talked about will be the colour of the card, the noise and the conspiracy denounced by Mourinho."

Real Madrid's players echoed Mourinho's criticism of the game's key decision. According to Xabi Alonso: "The sending-off radically changed the game,"

Emmanuel Adebayor told AS: "It's a man's game and every time you play against Barça, every time you touch them, they throw themselves to the ground and cry like a baby.

"I've played them three times and each time we've ended up with 10 men. Everyone talks about Barcelona's fair play, but I think they're a long way from fair play. Any contact and they go to ground and cry, putting their hands to their face. Barça is a fantastic club, who play fantastic football, but they should cut that out."

Ronaldo agreed. "It's always the same against Barcelona. Is it a coincidence?"

Asked about the performance of Messi – who Marca said produced a goal "straight from the videoconsole" – he replied, "Messi? Against 10 it's easier. I wish I could play against 10 men like he gets to."

But the Portuguese also indicated that he was uncomfortable with his team's tactical approach. "I don't like playing like this but I have to adapt."

Barcelona's Gerard Piqué was predictably unsympathetic to Real Madrid's complaints. "Before going down to 10 men they hadn't played any football. When you play with fire, at the limits of violence, you get burned."

Xavi was more direct. "They have nothing left but to play dirty because that's what their coach drums into them. I wouldn't dream of playing that way and Barça cannot let ourselves play that way. Football was the winner."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/28/spanish-press-real-madrid-barcelona

[Tatterdemalion]

You tell 'em Adebayor. What the world needs is more hard players like you who wouldn't dream of going down under a light challenge.

Where does this **** get off? Nice to see Mourinho getting the press he deserves for a change tho'

[red g]

Rumour has it you're representing Barca as they fight the charge

[Shaggy]

You tell 'em Adebayor. What the world needs is more hard players like you who wouldn't dream of going down under a light challenge.

Where does this **** get off? Nice to see Mourinho getting the press he deserves for a change tho'

*waits for Marky to do his Mavis Riley impression*

[Rudo]

You keep spouting that crap without a shred of evidence ...I'd like you to attempt to justify your baseless claim that Real "tried to take Barca on at their own game". Because they didn't. They just got battered. I realise all these defeats for your beloved Real and Jose must be hard to take. Especially with your other other team choking in the title race. Maybe time to choose a new team? Maybe choose someone **** hot, someone like Barcelona?

Madrid went to the Nou Camp with Benzema up front and Ronaldo just off him(free role)....more significantly they played this ludicrous(hindsight's a wonderful thing) high defensive line which Barca exploited time and time again.

They were certainly a lot more open compared to the recent matches, where they've got every man behind the ball and pressed them all over the pitch.

[Shaggy]

If you like

The only differences were they didn't play a centre half in midfield, actually picked a striker and even counter-attacked. They played entirely on the counter with purpose, which is more than can be said for last night as they merely hoofed the ball towards Ronaldo and hoped for the best.

They also had a full 33% of the ball ...although that was 10% more than they managed last night. Plus a whole two shots on target.

So they sat back and counter-attacked with some purpose - that is a world away from "trying to take Barcelona on at their own game"

[Shaggy]

"They took Barca on at their own game"

Some comments from the original match thread.

YES

madrid seem to have taken something from roy and that is not to press high up the pitch

though they dont drop as deep as we do

Works for Real.....anything to disrupt the flow of the game.

Only positive for them after 30mins is that their shadow-chasing has been top drawer.

Madrid looks like they've been set tactically by Roy Hodgson.

Madrid have played far too deep and barely managed to get their front players within 20 yards of each other. No fluidity whatsoever and they've barely had the ball.

One thing which strikes me, is that even down to their coach, Madrid's 'weapons' are generally individuals, and there's not much of a team ethic there - Ronaldo, Di Maria, Mourinho - all about themselves, all a bit ego. And when you play quality opposition, it doesnt work.

Contrast with Barca - Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Guardiola - all of them would comfortably hold their own among the world's best - and yet, they're very team and unity orientated.

That's the major difference, for me.

[Rudo]

You going the victory parade dude?

[red g]

You having a victory parade dude?

He only pissed all over your argument and made you look stupid, not sure its worth a victory parade

[CJ]

seems maureen doesnt guarantee you the league title or champs league.

who would have thought it, he is only human. oh thats right he didnt think that niether do his fans.



and rudo look at the atmosphere games involving maureens teams generate. do you not think that contributes to the sendings off his teams get?

the sad thing is that he shouldnt need to do that. thats why i dont want him at our club. Also barca fans dont like him much and their club doesnt seem to be suffering too much over all because of that does it?

[kris90210]

This quote says it all for me:
"If your approach is results-based and you don't get the result, what's left?"

[Shaggy]

This quote says it all for me:
"If your approach is results-based and you don't get the result, what's left?"

GarethSouthgate Gareth Southgate
Incidentally,a good job Uefa made everyone cool off before speaking to media last night - someone might have said something ridiculous...

[CJ]

This quote says it all for me:
"If your approach is results-based and you don't get the result, what's left?"

its obvious. its not your fault you dont get results.