Valencia vs FC Barcelona

see how much better we look with Iniesta back in midfield

windkick wrote:Would also like to see Tello's speed. Dude was scoring left and right for the few minuets he was getting, we give him a new contract and then BLAM he doesn't even see the bench anymore.

This too. It's a shame really. He did so well at the beginning of the year. I was very impressed.

WHAT A STOP BY VALDES!

I'm thinking Valdes is going to play the best he has ever played to help boost his stock before he leaves. Which is good for us at least for the remaining of the season

Pathetic, no drive at all until the final 15 minutes. This is why you need to rotate.

Fantastic display by Valencia. Their pressing, quality of interchanges when building up and creating counters was top notch. I hope kids watch this and learn. I can't fault any of Los Che players, apart from Pereira on that penalty incident, it should have been avoided.

Barcelona should take a long look at how they have played in the past few matches. So many misplaced passes. Ineffective pressing. Pedro, while his workrate is an example for everyone to follow - he really is living on his history. Absolutely makes no contribution going forward, always passing back and barely taking on a player and quite fascinating how he deliberately avoids to get into goalscoring positions. As if he is scared to take on any attacking responsibility.

And seriously, you need a win and you don't make a third substitution until 90th minute? That's getting even the basics wrong

Thiago coming on on 90 is just insulting. Xavi or Iniesta could of come off on 60 or 70, neither were doing anything useful.

Villa missed a chance, but did you not notice that was the only chance we created all game untill then?

He also could of shot twice more before setting up someone else.

It was a heck of a boring game, I almost fell asleep. Im glad its over.

Credit to VV for making a superb double save near the end.

Valencia pressed well and retained the ball well.

Alves is a bit haphazard nowadays. Fabregas has done well this year, but Iniesta pretty much moves to CM and it becomes too congested in the middle. It happened last year as well. Villa should be starting at LW.

is it bad to wish upon cesc a sickness that lasts 3 weeks and doesn't affect him too much so we can play Villa finally?
oh wait I forgot this is Barca, they'll just play Sanchez ahead of him

Cesc is good for breaking down a bus i.e. he's good for most CL games and lower la liga teams. However, Valencia is not one of those teams. When Villa came on, we retained the ball a lot better and that is key to our play. Yes, Cesc is doing well for us. We need Iniesta in the middle against teams that attack us.

I havn't watched the match, but what the hell, why did Xavi get subbed off in the 90th minute, was that us admitting we failed and time wasted?
Insulting to Thiago to barely play more then 3 minutes, Villa should of started there was no excuse I really dislike how players are being picked this season, it's so inconsistent at first we rested Messi when we needed him (the league was still tight) now there were miles ahead he doesn't even touch the bench unless he asks for it.
The only constant rotation is Puyol for Mascherano, everything else is completely predictable.

V wrote:Pathetic, no drive at all until the final 15 minutes. This is why you need to rotate.

Spoiled brat. Far from pathetic. mediocre performance in a difficult stadium.

danyjr wrote:Fantastic display by Valencia. Their pressing, quality of interchanges when building up and creating counters was top notch. I hope kids watch this and learn. I can't fault any of Los Che players, apart from Pereira on that penalty incident, it should have been avoided.

Barcelona should take a long look at how they have played in the past few matches. So many misplaced passes. Ineffective pressing. Pedro, while his workrate is an example for everyone to follow - he really Israel living on his history. Absolutely makes no contribution going forward, always passing back and barely taking on a player and quite fascinating how he deliberately avoids to get into goalscoring positions. As if he is scared to take on any attacking responsibility.

And seriously, you need a win and you don't make a third substitution until 90th minute? That's getting even the basics wrong

You are tiring.

IMO it's not only about the tactics, in 2008-2010 Xavi was way better than he is now. The team suffers because everything goes through Messi(sth that every team knows), and this are Tito's/Pep's(2010-12) instructions.(take a look at some matches, especially 2009 UCL final and see how Henry/Eto'o played) Alves is past it, so is Puyol, Villa too and Pedro is inferior to 32y.o Henry in every possible way.

The kind of game that would piss me off if it was a close title race but even now we've gained a point on Madrid

We better not be performing like this in the CL though. No. That won't do.

Could have used some rotation and Villa showing once again why having him out wide and Iniesta in the middle is the way to go. We looked better immediately, even if we didn't score.

likeastar wrote:IMO it's not only about the tactics, in 2008-2010 Xavi was way better than he is now. The team suffers because everything goes through Messi(sth that every team knows), and this are Tito's/Pep's(2010-12) instructions.(take a look at some matches, especially 2009 UCL final and see how Henry/Eto'o played) Alves is past it, so is Puyol, Villa too and Pedro is inferior to 32y.o Henry in every possible way.

so you are 12 points behind a team that half their starters are has beens. Must feel great.

billy_gr wrote:

likeastar wrote:IMO it's not only about the tactics, in 2008-2010 Xavi was way better than he is now. The team suffers because everything goes through Messi(sth that every team knows), and this are Tito's/Pep's(2010-12) instructions.(take a look at some matches, especially 2009 UCL final and see how Henry/Eto'o played) Alves is past it, so is Puyol, Villa too and Pedro is inferior to 32y.o Henry in every possible way.

so you are 12 points behind a team that half their starters are has beens. Must feel great.

starters ? how on earth are Puyol and Villa starters ? stop living in the past, Puyol isn't starting material anymore, he is a legend in his own rights but that's all. he isn't as good as he used to be, same to villa. Pedro was bad for 2 years now, even barca fans admit that, and Alves this season was average. Xavi is still the best CM in the world, but not as good as he was 2 years ago.

it's clear that some major changes are due to happen in the summer.
Alexis is gone, Villa should have gone by now and I don't see Mascherano staying either.
The thing with delayed subs must end now. It's insulting to the players and doesn't help the game either.
as everyone said already, it would be greeat if we had xaviesta playing mid

Why in gods name did barca play the SAME team they played against madrid?

The team was obviously tired.. they needed a change. Rest assured if they rotated they would have gotten a goal.

Iniesta still keeps going inside.. clogging up the midfield.. can't blame him as he isn't a winger.
Pedro was not bad actually, had some good plays.
Cesc
Messi was anonymous besides some excellent passes. But that isn't his fault. His teammates should have taken advantage of all the space messi freed up by attracting, well most of the team on him.. Coolly taken penalty

Puyol was good imo. Mascherano was bad, valdes saved barca a couple times. Pique was a tad sloppy but wasn't bad by any means and played much better once puyol was on. Alba was somewhat solid, but his pace saved his ass a couple times in the back.

There are almost no runs being made.. Why aren't more forwards being played ffs? Villa, even sanchez on the bench, hell tello needs to play as well..

likeastar wrote:

billy_gr wrote:

likeastar wrote:IMO it's not only about the tactics, in 2008-2010 Xavi was way better than he is now. The team suffers because everything goes through Messi(sth that every team knows), and this are Tito's/Pep's(2010-12) instructions.(take a look at some matches, especially 2009 UCL final and see how Henry/Eto'o played) Alves is past it, so is Puyol, Villa too and Pedro is inferior to 32y.o Henry in every possible way.

so you are 12 points behind a team that half their starters are has beens. Must feel great.

starters ? how on earth are Puyol and Villa starters ? stop living in the past, Puyol isn't starting material anymore, he is a legend in his own rights but that's all. he isn't as good as he used to be, same to villa. Pedro was bad for 2 years now, even barca fans admit that, and Alves this season was average. Xavi is still the best CM in the world, but not as good as he was 2 years ago.

i don't really care for your opinion on the players. fact is that when fit, like them or not, besides Villa every other "dead meat" u mentioned is a starter in this barca

billy_gr wrote:

likeastar wrote:

billy_gr wrote:

so you are 12 points behind a team that half their starters are has beens. Must feel great.

starters ? how on earth are Puyol and Villa starters ? stop living in the past, Puyol isn't starting material anymore, he is a legend in his own rights but that's all. he isn't as good as he used to be, same to villa. Pedro was bad for 2 years now, even barca fans admit that, and Alves this season was average. Xavi is still the best CM in the world, but not as good as he was 2 years ago.

i don't really care for your opinion on the players. fact is that when fit, like them or not, besides Villa every other "dead meat" u mentioned is a starter in this barca

puyol hasn't been a starter since 2009-2010.

dude Puyol is a starter when he's fit, but whatever...

Dude if you don't know what you are talking about, don't post.

Puyol is a legend and a starter...him and Pique is the preferred CB pairing.

free_cat wrote:You are tiring.

Yeah, no one is allowed to criticise Pedro in your presence. But I do when he plays crap and tonight was one of those nights. I dare say Valencia fullbacks made more contribution in attack than the supposed 'winger' of yours. Sign of worry? Obviously not to you, he's flawless. I'm not blaming Pedro for Barça's poor performance. First of all Valencia played a great match and Barcelona got tactics all wrong. With that Roura at the bench, prepare for more tactical blockades in the incoming matches. Has he even got a coaching certificate because he seems tactically inept.

Also, Puyol as a CB >>>> Mascherano as a CB. That is not even worth debating.

likeastar wrote:IMO it's not only about the tactics, in 2008-2010 Xavi was way better than he is now. The team suffers because everything goes through Messi(sth that every team knows), and this are Tito's/Pep's(2010-12) instructions.(take a look at some matches, especially 2009 UCL final and see how Henry/Eto'o played) Alves is past it, so is Puyol, Villa too and Pedro is inferior to 32y.o Henry in every possible way.

Please stop the nonesense. You keep saying everyone is past it while you languish in 3rd and we top the table.

Please bring something new to the table.

free_cat wrote:

V wrote:Pathetic, no drive at all until the final 15 minutes. This is why you need to rotate.

Spoiled brat. Far from pathetic. mediocre performance in a difficult stadium.

Exactly!

Valencia is a good team and Barca has ALWAYS had it tough in Mestalla. And the team didnt even play that bad. Like Valencia, Barca had chances to win the game...

Fabregas would have never been bought if he weren't Catalan. He wasn't what the squad needed. All he does is mess up the shape of the team. Assist machine but clueless in buildup play. Ideally he'd play as a false 9, not as a midfielder.



The transfers in recent years have been borderline retarded.

- Eto'o + € 40+ million for Ibrahimovic.
- € 37 million for Sanchez.
- Mascherano who can't play in midfield or as a centreback for Barcelona.
- Adding a third player (Song) for 1 position (DM) despite only having 2 centrebacks for 2 positions. 1 of those centrebacks being 34 years old.

Buy Thiago Silva and Falcao, sell Alexis and Fabregas, shift Messi to the right wing and watch this team win 3 consecutive Champions Leagues. Watching Pedro doing nothing and Messi, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas playing rondos around the center circle is becoming tiresome nowadays.

Come on guys, yes it was Valencia, but the fact that (penalty aside) we only had one shot on target the entire game speaks volumes. It was a bad performance and the problem is tactical (that one person to make a shot on target was Villa, surprise surprise). Roura later said that the team was tired, well who's fault is it that the first eleven rarely changes? My patience with him is thinning. This kind of thing gets you kicked out of the CL.

And yes Valencia has never been an easy team to beat, but this season they're weaker than others, and it's really not an excuse for only challenging the keeper once in 90 minutes from play.