eelir wrote:So we still suck at set pieces... A LOT!

Finally have two tall CBs in Pique and Mathiu, and we still only use one of them and go with the short Masch to pair with one of them.

Dude Pique always steps up in big games...why use Masch ahead of him in a big match?

I don't want to praise oil money but PSG playing really good football.

Oh and embarrassing performance by Barcelona.

Probably the worst performance I've seen by Busquets in my life.

Still not the worst player from barca though.

Alba

The Franchise wrote:If Messi is going to just stand there and walk, can he at least just man mark a CB?

At the moment he is floating around in the middle of nowhere and Pedro is has to be in 2 different places.

Yup, absolute suicide.

embarrassing.

Is Adriano on the bench?

Get both fullbacks off as far as im concerned, dont care how bad Montoya is.

Also get Xavi on, maybe that one someone will pass the damn ball once in a while.

Can't you see what's going on?
Lucho wants the goalkeeper issue resolved once and for all - thus he rotates in young MAtS, new to a big club, league and competition, for a tough away CL game after not having played him in the league, sets your team up to be fragile and voila - one problem less
bastard

Mathieu has been solid. Has to cover both himself and Alba but he is doing well. Better than the other 3 defenders.

MATS could do nothing with 1st or 3rd goal. 2nd one he came out for the cross when he would probably been better off staying but dont think it made a difference.

He swept up well this second half though and he has made good ball decisions with his feet.

RealGunner wrote:Mathieu has been solid. Has to cover both himself and Alba but he is doing well. Better than the other 3 defenders.

Today was the day for Pique, Bartra, Mathieu backline plus 1.

Nothing learnt from last season.

Mascherano done nothing especially wrong but still.

lol just saw the 2nd goal while Verratti is subbed off - the guy is something like 1,56m Rakitic

i would rather gone with Pique-Math in this match as our CB's. I know everyone here absolutely hates Pique, but he steps up in big games.

Not sure how Busq is getting owned so hard out there. Thats been a big issue this match.

Hapless_Hans wrote:lol just saw the 2nd goal while Verratti is subbed off - the guy is something like 1,56m Rakitic

While I obviously agree. I have no keep repeating, the corner should have been avoided very easily, but Alba thought it would be a good idea to dribble instead of pass.

The Franchise wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:lol just saw the 2nd goal while Verratti is subbed off - the guy is something like 1,56m Rakitic

While I obviously agree. I have no keep repeating, the corner should have been avoided very easily, but Alba thought it would be a good idea to dribble instead of pass.

I didn't see the goal in context, just a repeat. Barca pressing hard for the equalizer now..

FFS Mascherano you still dont know what the offside line is?

Cavani almost killed all hope because that clown.

Defense awful, Busquets worst game of his career, Iniesta is nobody nowadays, Pedro should be playing in B-team...

Neymar and Messi only onces who played in a proper level for this kind of game. Suarez can't come soon enough.

So the to recap:
* defense is shit, especially in set peaces (probaly Lucho's fault)
* our pressing against a half-in-form elite club sucks
* and we definitely need the third WC striker badly. Pedro is not Barca material. Period! free can come and say whatever he wants, but Pedro has been Mierdo for really really long now.

Alba got properly #REKT. DAYUM.

Mathieu has to start big games at LB in the future.

Alves------Vermaelen/Masch-----Pique-------Mathieu

Also I think Midfield has a big problem which has been going under the radar for some time. I don't understand Rakitic's role and I don't know what's Iniesta's role either? It seems to be some sort of understanding issues between Rakitic-Busquets or just that Busquets is used to start the play from deep but he isn't doing that anymore? I didn't see him having the ball as much as he used to in the past.

I might be making too much out of this but the midfield isn't looking right.

Fußball wrote:

billy_gr wrote:why we keep starting Pedro?

Suarez is still suspended.

Mathieu doesn't really do well at fullback anymore... he's OK.  But he's a much, much better CB.

eelir wrote:So the to recap:
* defense is shit, especially in set peaces (probaly Lucho's fault)
* our pressing against a half-in-form elite club sucks
* and we definitely need the third WC striker badly. Pedro is not Barca material. Period! free can come and say whatever he wants, but Pedro has been Mierdo for really really long now.

I would add that either the team is arrogant or stupid.

The amount of times they tried to dribble in the defensive and midfield thirds leads me to believe its one of them.

And I dont get how we supposed to press when we change our shape to press. Perhaps if we were consistently pressing well week in-week out, it would be possible, but now?

RealGunner wrote:Mathieu has to start big games at LB in the future.

Alves------Vermaelen/Masch-----Pique-------Mathieu

Also I think Midfield has a big problem which has been going under the radar for some time. I don't understand Rakitic's role and I don't know what's Iniesta's role either? It seems to be some sort of understanding issues between Rakitic-Busquets or just that Busquets is used to start the play from deep but he isn't doing that anymore? I didn't see him having the ball as much as he used to in the past.

I might be making too much out of this but the midfield isn't looking right.

Do you mean in attack or defence? In attack, I find we spend way too much of the game on one side of the pitch and it doesnt go across to the other. Once Dani Alves touches the ball on the right past the half way line, it almost never reaches Alba on the other. And the same the other way around.

Once its on the right, it stays there or gets forced into the middle for Messi/Neymar coming inside. But we hardly ever go from rightback to Rakitic to Busquets/Iniesta to Alba. Or the other way around. Ball doesnt circulate.

Even against ptb teams it doesnt, it ends in a cross.

Rakitic had his breakout season at Sevilla as a 10.  He CAN play a lower role and has done it pretty well in the past....  but i still don't understand this concept of buying players and playing them in roles where they're not at their best.  Madrid does this all the time too and it drives me crazy.

That's why i also hope the Mathieu stays at CB.

Finally, is Suarez going to play central striker or move to the right?  Again, buying a guy to play him out of position.

Barcelona are lucky PSG strikers are jokers. Cavani and Pastore could have added a couple more had it not been for their complacency.