Barca not up for it?

[kemm1]

Its questionable as to how much better Barca would have played with Eto up front, Saviola was superb.

So what if Messi is just back so is Momo and we still have HK out plus add to that it was Arbeolas first game, please take nothing away from Liverpool we where absolutely suberb especially in the second half.

There is a massive difference in quality between Eto'o and Saviola. Eto'o is on of the top 3 players in the world IMO.

[REDSCOUSER]

I would not write Barca off. We have shown in previous years that we can not finish teams off at Anfield.
Against Roma we lost 0-1, Grazer we lost 0-1 & CSKA Sofia 0-1. All ties we should have finished off.
I am still worried that we will take it for a ride in a fortnight & the Catalan giants will come out strong.
There is only goal in the tie & Barca is a top class team capable of turning it around.
Rafa will be the MAIN man in 2 weeks. He has to drill it to the lads head to go out and finish the tie off and not sit back & invite Barca to attack.

[Shaggy]

They are not key players for us in the same way as Eto'o and Messi is for Barca.

We can replace Momo with Gerrard and Garcia with Pennant for example. It won't change our playing style.

Barca can't replace Messi and Eto'o in the same way. Guily or Iniesta have played instead of Messi but they are not the same typ of player. Gudjohnsen or Saviola have played instead of Eto'o and again they are not the same type of players.

Barca have only more or less played with one playing style with Rijkaard and that is a problem for them when key players to make that system work is missing.

I see what you're saying mate. Eto'o is a big miss for them as they have no-one of the same ilk to step into his shoes. However, you could also say the same for us regarding Garcia. We don't have a like-for-like replacement either.

I will say though....as for them having only one way of playing - whose fault is that? We have many different ways of playing, which is testament to the nous of Benitez.

When we have lots of injuries and lose, we are told by all and sundry that it's no excuse. **** it, it's the same for them. No excuses - we beat them in their own backyard.

[lfc4ever]

And they might be another down for the return leg:

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=450079&CPID=23&clid=178&lid=2&title=Belletti+blow+for+Barca

Belletti blow for Barca

By Francisco Acedo - Created on 22 Feb 2007

Barcelona defender Juliano Belletti faces a race to be fit for the return game with Liverpool in two weeks.

The Brazilian picked up an ankle injury during Liverpool's famous win at Camp Nou on Wednesday night.

Belletti suffered the knock late on against Liverpool and was forced to stay on the field as Barcelona had already used all their substitutes.

The full-back has been ruled out of this weekend's La Liga game with Athletic Bilbao and next week's Copa del Rey clash with Real Zaragoza.

Olegeur is likely to come into the side in the place of Belletti for the next few games.

[Red_Polo]

They are not key players for us in the same way as Eto'o and Messi is for Barca.

Oh are they not? There's me thinking Garcia was the one who always provides for us when it comes to Europe, and that Momo was the player we signed who was good enough to push Gerrard out to right mid. Silly me.

If Messi wasn't fit enough then they had another pretty good player called Giuly waiting by and he has done very well in that role in the recent past. Saviola was hardly their worst player on the night was he? So your argument boils down to next to nothing. They had key players out or just back, so did we. It wasn't how either team coped with those absences that decided the game.

They didn't lose because they sorely missed players, they lost because as a team they couldn't match our intensity. They played alright when we backed off them after they scored. It was only when we upped our intensity, pressed, and refused them the space and 'respect' they expect people to give them at their place that they looked distinctly average. Their feeble performance was our doing.

[Redlife]

Rafa's system means we don't rely on individuals. He's building an all-consuming crushing machine that will pulverize teams who pin their hopes on a few individuals.

[lfc4ever]

Rafa's system means we don't rely on individuals. He's building an all-consuming crushing machine that will pulverize teams who pin their hopes on a few individuals.

Yup, which makes the signing of world class big-name players less likely, but with the backing of the money it does mean Rafa can get first choice henceforth.

[Johnny]

Oh are they not? There's me thinking Garcia was the one who always provides for us when it comes to Europe, and that Momo was the player we signed who was good enough to push Gerrard out to right mid. Silly me.

If Messi wasn't fit enough then they had another pretty good player called Giuly waiting by and he has done very well in that role in the recent past. Saviola was hardly their worst player on the night was he? So your argument boils down to next to nothing. They had key players out or just back, so did we. It wasn't how either team coped with those absences that decided the game.

They didn't lose because they sorely missed players, they lost because as a team they couldn't match our intensity. They played alright when we backed off them after they scored. It was only when we upped our intensity, pressed, and refused them the space and 'respect' they expect people to give them at their place that they looked distinctly average. Their feeble performance was our doing.

I agree.we upped the tempo,closed them down and then played them at their own game,they couldn`t cope.

[Marky]

I don't give a **** if they weren't up for it, we played and beat them good
n proper by working our butts off, being disciplined and as Rafa always says 'Compact', we showed we can play a bit too.
We beat them fair and square,they may not have been at the race but do we really care?

[carrsim]

Yup, which makes the signing of world class big-name players less likely, but with the backing of the money it does mean Rafa can get first choice henceforth.

this perception really bothers

alonso, garcia, reina, gonzalez, crouch, agger, momo, kyut and morientes

are all examples of rafa identifying and getting his first choice signings- good players who can play within a framework of a well structured team without being "glamourous" FM mega signings

only missing out on alves (15m for a right back to play right wing who may or may not settle in england) and getting pennant instead is a clear case of 2nd choice. perhaps bellamy over villa but only until recently has villa entertained teh idea of leaving spain anyway (and evenw ith our new found riches there's no guarantee that we'll be in for him)

rafa is magic but has been backed resoultely by the previous regime to help him deliver trophies and to say otherwise is wrong

[Speedy]

Rafa's system means we don't rely on individuals. He's building an all-consuming crushing machine that will pulverize teams who pin their hopes on a few individuals.

Haha

[Redlife]

Haha

Tee hee.

[Red_Al_77]

It looked like we got given the hardest draw in the CL, but after last night i'm not so sure. We fought well granted, but they looked like a shadow of their former selves (last year mainly) and in general i've been unimpressed with them all year. They get all the rave reviews but they struggled through their group and last night didn't seem to have the heart for the fight.

Your thoughts?

You can only beat the team in front of you so it matters not whether Barca were up for it or not. They are a hurdle to be crossed for us to get to the final so it is utterly irrelevant whether they are the quality team of last year or a team that is struggling. Personally I couldn't give a flying feck as the history books will say we beat Barca. End of.

[lfcruleus]

It looked like we got given the hardest draw in the CL, but after last night i'm not so sure. We fought well granted, but they looked like a shadow of their former selves (last year mainly) and in general i've been unimpressed with them all year. They get all the rave reviews but they struggled through their group and last night didn't seem to have the heart for the fight.

Your thoughts?

2 words **** OFF

We didnt let them play end of.

[REDSCOUSER]

2 words **** OFF

We didnt let them play end of.