CL QF 1st leg: FC Barcelona 1 - Atletico Madrid 1

Xavi wasnt even useless. Comparing him to Cesc was always apples and oranges before they played together and its even more so now.

For starters, Xavi plays a good 20-30m further from goal and therefore does many different things.

Who is the first one Busquets looks for? Xavi.

Who is the first one the back 4 look for if Busquets isnt available? Xavi.

Cesc is meanwhile gallivanting forward.

I can only assume Cesc is in the team based on what he can do in the final third of the pitch (because he doesnt do anything further back), Xavi most certaintly isnt in the team for what he does there.

What a surprise.As soon as Cesc the Lost Lamb fabregas gets substituted,we go on to dominate them.I am sick of this clown destroying our team bit by bit.First he forces Thiago out.And now our results get affected because of the clown.Just useless and utter garbage.

Am disappointed with the result.We dominated them when the clown went off and should have won with a couple of goals.I thought the ref was very poor.Atletico are a dirty team and he let them get away with a lot.they kept fouling and he let them foul incessantly. Arda should have been sent off in the first half itself.So should have been Gabi.

Not too displeased.Thought everyone played well except the clown and Pinto.If we bench the clown and play with 3 proper forwards I am sure we will beat them.

free_cat wrote:

danyjr wrote:Bartra >>>>> Piqué

Also Fàbregas was useless and Pedro should have come as opposed to Sánchez in my opinion.

Sanchez did fine. He linked up well with Alves and stole the ball for our goal.

I agree that Fabregas was useless, but wasn't Xavi useless too? Why only criticize him?

I will just repost what I posted in the clown's thread.

Your bias is just ridiculous.Xavi had a very good game yesterday and was light years better than Cesc.Watch the game again without the bias.
Xavi defended very well yesterday.Put in a great shift and always tracked back.Even won a couple of tackles.You must be joking if you think Cesc defended better than Xavi.All yesterday's game proved was that Cesc is useless at defending for the umpteenth time.
Also dont see how you can fault xavi for Diego's goal.Xavi closed him down as best he could( at the age of 34 and with his physical limitations).He stayed close and put pressure which is all that can be asked.He cant foul as that was a dangerous situation.That was just a 1 in a million shot by Diego and a contender for goal of the season.
But I am sure in your ridiculous bias,you think your precious boy Cesc could have done better.Let me lay down the reality for you.All Cesc would have done is do his running in the sand impression and got turned like he does against every scrub player.With Cesc thr,Diego would have had a free shot.

Sideways passes.I like how you conveniently ignore that Xavi set up our first chance,the Neymar header.Also interesting how you conveniently ignore that he set up arguably our best chance of the match.The beautiful lobbed pass for Messi which Messi should have hit first time.He had a clear shot and had he volleyed it,most probably would have been a goal.Instead he took the wrong decision and took a touch by which time the chance was gone.There was also a header for Bartra set up by Xavi.
So thats 3 chances created by Xavi which is pretty much as much as any other player and thats considering that he was the deepest of all the chnace creating players.
Now lets consider that with what your precious boy the bunker buster 'the Lost Lamb' did.Absolutely nothing.Wait thats not true.I mean as per norm he did misplace a lot of simple passes.And as per norm he did look clueless in midfield.That counts for something right.

Bartra had a very good game.Pique out is a worry but it gives Bartra an opportunity.Now he has to play all the big games.Tata has no other option.If Bartra steps up and proves himself,then we have a CB for the future.If this game is any indication,then Bartra is ready for the challenge.

Is Puyol still injured?if he is not,then he can play a couple of league games to give Bartra and Masch a breather.Plus Busquets can always play CB in one of our easier home league games.

alexjanosik wrote:

Not too displeased.Thought everyone played well except the clown and Pinto.If we bench the clown and play with 3 proper forwards I am sure we will beat them.

that doesn't seen at all likely to happen. If you look at Martino 's post match comments he doesn't mention the change in performance after the sub and doesn't show any inclination to change his "throw all the big names into the team sheet" tactics

danyjr wrote:

RealGunner wrote:Pique out for a month

Good riddance. Bartra > Piqué

ridiculous hate on Pique by the cules on this forum.

free_cat wrote:

danyjr wrote:

RealGunner wrote:Pique out for a month

Good riddance. Bartra > Piqué

Pique >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mascherano though.

So not a good riddance because our CB pair should be Pique - Bartra.

This.

That applies only in tough games. Otherwise Pique is our worst defender in a while. Even Chiggy would have done more against weaker opposition.

EDIT:

Just to make it clear. I see two Piques in our team. One against scrubs, who is much worse than any defender in la liga top 10 teams, and one in important games who rises to top 10-20 CBs in world.

I have that sick feeling in my stomach of a 0-0 in Madrid, thus us going out.

Its probably like that because I expect Martino to trot out the usual big game line up, disregarding logic.

I hope Costa will return, I think we could theoretically handle his crude effort of bruise and bully his way to goal easier than the cunning movement of David Villa (again, fantastic decision selling him to this team ) and a midfielder behind him looking to slip him (or one of the ever moving Turan or Koke) in.

I appreciate Pinto's steadfast desire to pass from the back, its admirable and if he played more often perhaps it would work out better for him...but the from the defenders playing to every Barca fan in the stadium, the tension is incredible when he gets the ball..it just feels like it will go wrong at some point.

I am the last person saying we should hoof it forward, but Pinto needs to watch some game film and realise what is happening when he has the ball at his feet.

I'd be surprised - no, shocked, if Martino were to pull out Cesc in midfield again. Even my grandmother could see how hard he flopped and how the team immediately became better once he went off; and she didn't even watch the game. Camp Nou booed him off as well.

Tata had reason to start with this lineup again as it had proven successful in every big game so far. But now that it failed it's time to move on. Martino took him out so he's not completely blind. Next step is to leave him out from the start.

All we need is 1 goal. Then we go through, no doubt. Either we win 1-0. Or it goes 1-1 into extra time where Atletico won't be able to survive. Whenever we play them they can barely stand on their feet towards the end. If we score 2 they are finished. If they manage to protect a 0-0 they deserve to go through. 2 goals in 5 games wouldn't be acceptable with Barca's attacking ressources.

If we play Neymar on the left, Iniesta in the midfield next to Xavi and Busquets, with Messi playing top and in form as well as Pedro/Alexis on the right (3 forwards) I think we will win, I am confident of that.

After the mental fortitude shown by overturning the deficit against Milan, I am confident we can bounce back and put in a great performance and go through. This Atletico team isn't Milan, however...so I do have some reservations.