So what's the way to deal with a parked bus?

[Frenchie]

can I have half an ounce of whatever you're on please?

[Maxiedge]

Dive, get a penalty.

Failing that, it's handy having full backs who can strike a ball from distance as they seem to have a bit more space when they come forward.

[Kronenburg1892]

can I have half an ounce of whatever you're on please?

I'll go halves on that half.

I'll be interested to see how ManU/C + Chelsea do at the potters. We had a few things against us, still, disciplined defence can be broken by breaking their rules.

[Neil Young]

can I have half an ounce of whatever you're on please?

I'm just high on life, mate.

[Craig_H]

Still think in part at least it comes down to both the quality and quantity of "game-changing" players you have. You cannot legislate for individual genius- and the more players of that ilk you have makes it logistically more difficult/impossible to double-mark them.

We have Suarez- and intermittently Stevie. We need more.

Been banging this drum repeatedly for a while now and it's precisely why i didnt exactly celebrate signings like Henderson & Downing for £36m.

[RichC]

Been banging this drum repeatedly for a while now and it's precisely why i didnt exactly celebrate signings like Henderson & Downing for £36m.

big picture, building a squad for now and the future etc......

[Craig_H]

big picture, building a squad for now and the future etc......

One can dress it up with whatever rhetoric one wants, but ultimately, you know as well as i do that we lack the matchwinners necessary for a title challenge. Possibly even for top four.

[Mattshark]

Ball retention
Good movement off the ball
Switching the play (in 1 or 2 passes)
One touch football

All of these will stretch the opponents defence and create holes in which can be played through balls, crosses and scoring opportunities.

Simple really - just like how the game should be played!

I think width is overrated, a lot of the teams parking the bus are well equipped to deal with crosses. Flair, movement and the unexpected are the way to go imo.

[RichC]

One can dress it up with whatever rhetoric one wants, but ultimately, you know as well as i do that we lack the matchwinners necessary for a title challenge. Possibly even for top four.

I disagree, I'm not sure what we have yet in terms of a side to push and challenge as it's too early for me to make that call.

I'd be shocked if we weren't comfortably camped in the top 4 come Xmas though

[ric.williams]

I think width is overrated

then you're dumb

[Mattshark]

then you're dumb

Yes, cos crossing it into a constantly packed box is always the best way. Nice to see your from the Andy Gray school of lack of tactics.

[Kenneth]

I think width is overrated, a lot of the teams parking the bus are well equipped to deal with crosses. Flair, movement and the unexpected are the way to go imo.

I think you're missing the point. It's the variation, the unpredictability of attacks that causes gaps/chances against tight opponents. Banging crosses in all day is easy to address, but then so is intricate passing through the middle. The latter is even more susceptible to being stifled by numbers.

[Mattshark]

I think you're missing the point. It's the variation, the unpredictability of attacks that causes gaps/chances against tight opponents. Banging crosses in all day is easy to address, but then so is intricate passing through the middle. The latter is even more susceptible to being stifled by numbers.

Simply putting in crosses also get stifled by numbers in the box though. Using intelligent movement and patience can draw defenders out of position and create space allowing the creation of chances when you have players with good vision and good movement.

[Roboklopp]

Been banging this drum repeatedly for a while now and it's precisely why i didnt exactly celebrate signings like Henderson & Downing for £36m.

Aye, and I've been there with you. Been inmpresswd withDowning so far tho, just that I might've waited another yearto get Hendo, and got someone with more flair instead.

[kris90210]

Barca tried that against Inter in 2010 semi final and Failed.

You need that and width. Pace and a way to invite the opposition away from the box. Almost playing the ball around at the back. Then quick attacks down the flanks (not hoofball)

That's true, but in football nothing's ever certain is it. Barca have played the same way against dozens of teams who have all tried to stop them the way Inter did and steamrolled them. Just because it worked once, doesn't mean it's foolproof.

All credit to Inter for that result (over two legs as well), but I think they got somewhat lucky. They took their chances very, very well. If Barca had scored first it would have been a different story in my opinion.