UEFA Champions League 2010-11

**DeLorean** · 10/03/2011, 8:45 AM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Why did he need to lie then about not hearing the whistle? Why not say "I was in full motion of lining up a shot and instinctively kicked it towards the goals"

I just don't think it really matters whether he lied or not about hearing the whistle. My point is that the sending off was absolute nonsense. It was probably just easier for Van Persie to demonstrate to the referee that he hadn't heard it and had to keep up the charade in the interview afterwards. Certainly easier than explaining "I was in full motion of lining up a shot and instinctively kicked it towards the goals" in the heat of the moment.

**old git** · 10/03/2011, 9:35 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

This Barcelona team is the best team I have ever seen in my life. Even better than Jim McLaughlin's Rovers

But football is such a mad game that if that useless stick Bendtner had taken a very very decent chance on 89 minutes, a rag tag Arsenal team would have beaten them. It's not rugby or basketball where the best team is virtually guaranteed to win. Human error - players' or officials' can be really costly. One of the best things about football is that a team that is well set up and that gets a bit of luck can get a result against a superior team, because it's a low scoring game.

I hope Barcelona go on to win this competition without any controversy. They are as close to perfection as I have seen in 35 years of watching football.

wrt Wenger's moaning, I have a strong suspicion that, not just being a sore loser, he is trying to protect his team's mindset. I think he is trying to get them to think that they are victims and not just inferior. He'd be wrong by any objective measure, but although to the public it looks like moaning and sour grapes I think there may be a higher purpose.

Ferguson has achieved something similar - United aren't on poor form - they're victims, in their minds.

dont buy into the hype about this current barcelona team... and disagree they are the best team ever... poor goalkeeper dodgy full backs defending / dodgy centre halfs but from midfield up they are excellent and i think alot of teams fear this and set up teams to counter this rather than having a go at attacking them.. liverpool / ajax / milan / madrids etc in their glory day would have been more than capable of beating this current barcelona team

**geysir** · 10/03/2011, 12:24 PM

Who claimed they were the best ever team?

Puyol and Pique, dodgy centre halfs?

I supposed they would have to be artful dodgers to play for the current best teams in the world, Barca and Spain. But what would I know?

**old git** · 10/03/2011, 4:59 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

Who claimed they were the best ever team?

Puyol and Pique, dodgy centre halfs?

I supposed they would have to be artful dodgers to play for the current best teams in the world, Barca and Spain. But what would I know?

stuggart88 a few posts back ... the same pique who could not get a game for man utd ..!! lots of so called best teams in the world have always had a few dodgy players .. just because you win a world cup medal / champions league it makes you a great player ... traore with liverpool / berg utd / mc manaman madrid to name a few ..

**dfx-** · 10/03/2011, 5:33 PM

Originally Posted by old git

dont buy into the hype about this current barcelona team... and disagree they are the best team ever... poor goalkeeper dodgy full backs defending / dodgy centre halfs but from midfield up they are excellent and i think alot of teams fear this and set up teams to counter this rather than having a go at attacking them.. liverpool / ajax / milan / madrids etc in their glory day would have been more than capable of beating this current barcelona team

Dodgy centre halves?

Very few strikers will outrun Abidal certainly and possibly Pique, not many strikers will outmuscle Puyol. Their full backs are wing backs..

And dominating the ball, being able to control it and not lose it is as valid a defensive tactic as any. Maybe they're not good at John Terry/Carragher last minute lunges recoveries from mistakes, but you have to have the ball and keep it to attack them...

**bennocelt** · 10/03/2011, 8:24 PM

Originally Posted by dfx-

Dodgy centre halves?

Very few strikers will outrun Abidal certainly and possibly Pique, not many strikers will outmuscle Puyol. Their full backs are wing backs..
.

he is muck..........please

**geysir** · 10/03/2011, 9:09 PM

Originally Posted by old git

stuggart88 a few posts back ... .

I would be reluctant to speak for young Stutts but he said they were the best he had seen. A bit of a difference to saying they are the best team ever.

the same pique who could not get a game for man utd ..!! lots of so called best teams in the world have always had a few dodgy players .. just because you win a world cup medal / champions league it makes you a great player ..

You said they were dodgy. I presume you mean dodgy at the top level.
No dodgy player would be captain of Barca and Spain, when both teams are in their prime and ruling the football world.
As it happens I rate Puyol as one of the finest captains and players around. No he is not the greatest, far from it, just an indispensable and inspirational component of both those superb teams.

**dfx-** · 10/03/2011, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

he is muck..........please

Great player this season, calm and measured...

**bennocelt** · 11/03/2011, 6:18 AM

Originally Posted by dfx-

Great player this season, calm and measured...

Playing for Barcelona, yeah a lot of tough games there alright

**DeLorean** · 11/03/2011, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

You said they were dodgy. I presume you mean dodgy at the top level.
No dodgy player would be captain of Barca and Spain, when both teams are in their prime and ruling the football world.
As it happens I rate Puyol as one of the finest captains and players around. No he is not the greatest, far from it, just an indispensable and inspirational component of both those superb teams.

I would add that Spain didn't even concede a goal in the knock-out rounds of either the Euros or the WC. That's 7 games, which is an incredible defensive record given the level they were playing at, and for a side based on playing attacking football. Obviously this is as much down to their incredible ball retention, but it just doesn't happy with a poor defence. Puyol was an ever present, partnered by Marchena in the Euros and Pique in the WC. He got the vital goal in the WC semi against Germany, a real captains goals as well (even though he wasn't the captain obviously). All of Spain's goals in the tournament were scored by Barcelona players, says a lot. This Barcelona side are also the best side I have seen, but they do struggle to not only score, but to even create chances when a top team crowd the centre forcing them to wide areas.

**Stuttgart88** · 11/03/2011, 8:13 PM

I have never seen a team as comfortable with the ball as Barca, who can dismantle teams brilliantly without resorting to directness and who win the ball back so quickly. They may have weaknesses but it's pure Harlem Globetrotters stuff and I'm mesmerised by it.

Just look at the first goal from last Tuesday again: OK Fabregas was careless, but Iniesta's footwork was brilliant, the chipped pass to Messi, the way Messi chipped the ball over Almunia and then the volleyed finish. Amazing stuff, made look easy. The second goal, leaving some very good players just sliding on the grass chasing shadows. Wonderful.

Are they as good as Milan in 94 or Real from the 50s? I think the game gets better every 10 years or so. You can only be the best of your era. The Dutch "total football" machine - maybe Ajax were the Barca of their era, but as Geysir says, I was a bit too young.

Chelsea vs Barca: same point in a way. Barca are much better now than they were then. They're better now than last year even. Villa is better than Ibrahimovic in my opinion, a player I've never really got.

Of those 4 "penalties", Malouda actually fouled Alves. It should have been a free out. They ref got that first one doubly wrong!

The second call - Drogba only went down once he saw Valdes was going to get the ball first. Slight tug, yes, but not enough to put Drogba down, or even slow him. It'd have been a soft one.

Pique's handball when the ball dropped over his head? I'd have given it myself, but you could see on the replay that it was accidental and that Pique was looking away from the ball.

The blocked shot in injury time? Hardly clearcut. Sometimes they're given, sometimes they're not.

The ref was villified beyond belief in that game and I'd love the chance to debate each individual incident with Alan Greene or Martin Samuel. 3 half-decent calls doesn't equal 1.5 certain penalties. Barca rode their luck for sure, but I'm not saying Barca from 2009 are the best team I have ever seen. Barca of this season are.

Inter v Barca last year: Was Milito's goal not a mile offside, a bit like Tevez v Mexico? Was Alvez not taken down in the box in the second half? That's a 2 goal swing (one away goal too) in my opinion. Add the arguable but not too contentious handball by Kircic(?) and that's quite a headstart Mourinho's Inter got, even if they did execute a gameplan really well.

**Stuttgart88** · 11/03/2011, 8:19 PM

Originally Posted by old git

the same pique who could not get a game for man utd ..!!

When though? Anyway, he's knocking off Shakira. Who's Rio with?

**old git** · 11/03/2011, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

When though? Anyway, he's knocking off Shakira. Who's Rio with?

ok i'll concede pique is the man . just for knocking off shakira

rio does not have the time he is always on twitter ....

**Closed Account 2** · 18/03/2011, 10:22 AM

Draw:

Real Madrid/Tottenham v Barcelona/Shakhtar

Inter/Schalke v Chelsea/Manchester United

**Closed Account 2** · 18/03/2011, 10:48 AM

Interesting histories there, Inter v Schalke was the UEFA Cup final 1997, Schalke won on penalties after 1-0s in each leg.
Man Utd and Chelsea was the final in 2008.
Barca played Shaktar in 2009 in the Supercup and also in the CL in 2004 where it was one win each.
Dont think Real and Spurs have played each other recently in competitive matches.

**KK77** · 18/03/2011, 10:52 AM

Some interesting ties there alright. In terms of football the Madrid/Spurs and Barce/Shakhtar games have the makings of great games. I suppose you'd have to fancy the winners of the Chelsea/Man U tie to go all the way to the final but you never know.

**Closed Account 2** · 18/03/2011, 11:15 AM

Inter are a dangerous team on their day and I think Eto'o could cause problems for Man Utd's makeshift defence and also for Chelsea's backline (if they were to get through). It still amazes me that Barca offloaded him and paid millions of Euros for Ibrahimovic. Eto'o was the best striker to play there in the last decade, way better than that Villa. Similar story on Wesley Scheidjer, Real Madrid dropped a clanger in lettting him go, should have been world player of the year last year.

**DeLorean** · 18/03/2011, 11:15 AM

Wouldn't rule out Inter, they have been far better under Leonardo (not a cheap shot, just a fact really!!), handy enough draw for them too to help gather a bit of momentum...similar to when they drew CSKA last year. That said, Schalke will be no pushover, super results for them against Valencia.

I've a feeling Madrid might make light work of Spurs in the first leg and set up the El Classico semies. Potentially there could be four El Classicos in 19 days.

Chelsea Man Utd is almost too close to call, assuming United have Vidic fit for both legs. I'd give them very little chance without him. United have a desperately poor record at the Bridge in recent years and rarely even score. Chelsea's record at OT is excellent as well. Wouldn't be surprised to see it go to extra time all the same, or somebody to win on away goals.

Great draw.

**KK77** · 18/03/2011, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo

Inter are a dangerous team on their day and I think Eto'o could cause problems for Man Utd's makeshift defence and also for Chelsea's backline (if they were to get through). It still amazes me that Barca offloaded him and paid millions of Euros for Ibrahimovic. Eto'o was the best striker to play there in the last decade, way better than that Villa. Similar story on Wesley Scheidjer, Real Madrid dropped a clanger in lettting him go, should have been world player of the year last year.

Yeah i suppose they will be a danger and having the experience of winning it last season will help. Would be something special for Leonardo to get to them to the final never mind winning it in his first season as manager!

**The Fly** · 18/03/2011, 2:03 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Are they as good as Milan in 94 or Real from the 50s? I think the game gets better every 10 years or so. You can only be the best of your era. The Dutch "total football" machine - maybe Ajax were the Barca of their era, but as Geysir says, I was a bit too young.

It's the AC Milan side that won the European Cup back-to-back in 1989 & 1990 that still gets my vote. That side was just littered with great players, like Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta, Donadoni, Rijkaard, Gullit, Van Basten and so on. Whilst the current Barcelona side equal or perhaps surpass that Milan side as an attacking force, their defence pales in comparison.

Besides, I do find the discussion somewhat premature since Barcelona have to successfully defend the title before before being seriously countenanced for such exalted status.