Re: Match Day Thread 20/21

[Myesyats]

Games at balaidos are a nightmare

red card wtf

[Myesyats]

this ref ffs

all it took was a red card to force Griezmann off

[FennecFox7]

This is what I mean when I say when Messi presses, defends, and plays like he can, he's just incredible. and if he can sustain that Barca walk the league. No question

[Myesyats]

Suprisingly better game from Busquets

Also great from FDJ

Koeman has reinvigorated this team

[alexjanosik]

Disgustingly soft red card.

[Myesyats]

Messi seems comfortable back at false-9 but nevertheless I'm still a little worried about the lack of a #9 in the squad apart from Breathwaite who is mediocre.

I don't expect Ansu to keep up this scoring form at such a young age given that he surely is not prolific enough to be scoring almost every game. Be glad to be proven wrong though.

[neuro11]

Can't remember when was the last time I truly enjoyed two consecutive Barca games. Ansu fati, what a talent he is. He got speed, dribbling ability, the instinct for goal and a bit of brain too. Busquet was better, Coutinho played well to link up in the Mid. Till the 50th min, I thought Messi is gone, he was losing the ball frequently, made several mispasses. Then he was back with 4 very good chances, 2 ending up in the net.

I think Neto is a better ball distributor, no?? I saw it in the last game but i wanted to see him today too. He could find Fati and others (can't remember) in the opposite half with pinpoint distribution few times. He also made some decent saves.

Lastly, I forgot if we ever won an away game (let alone with 10 men) so comfortably in places like Celta Vigo or Sociedad. But the worrying is we need a genuine striker. Messi surely won't be able to score many this season. Fati is good but can't rely on a 17-year kid to carry us entire season. Coutinho is surely not a goal scorer. He may create chances but would miss a sitter (like he did today)

[BarcaLearning]

Another strange game in that how we comfortable for the most part when the opponent is actually a good team but rarely mention to trouble us? I think its been said we are changing our clubs training focus to be more on physical and strength, so not sure if thats had an effect already. Our positioning and pressing are much better, as well as ball movement is much faster. Same can be said everyone year though at the beginning when things are fresh, lets hope we can keep it up. We also have been pretty lucky with goals and goals not conceded.

Still gonna watch a few more games b4 deciding exactly just how good we are...

[Myesyats]

Dest is cleared and included in the squad already. Perhaps we see some minutes from him already tonight.

[danyjr]

Would be interesting to see.

[BarcaLearning]

Just saw youtube highlights video and he seems very skillful flair type of player... not that its a good judge of things obviously, but Im guessing not as bad an I had thought.

[danyjr]

Griezmann out. Loan him out for free to Atlético already. You got 24 hours.

[BarrileteCosmico]

Feels like barca have not won a single header at a corner

[alexjanosik]

Messi with a masterclass.

In standing in the center circle
Watching him standing there while we are getting dominated and the rest of the team is busting their gut is priceless.
And yet this piece of trash and garbage and the worst player on the pitch by a country mile stays on while others are substituted. A complete disgrace to the shirt and I can't wait for the day this piece of stinking hot garbage is thrown out of the club.
Hope Barto stays on as this garbage might end up staying if Font or someone else comes in.

GTFO you piece of trash. You dont deserve to wear our shirt.

[alexjanosik]

On a positive note, like some of our promising youngsters. We knew about Fati but Pedri looks quite promising. He has been billed as the best talent Spain has produced since Iniesta and he has played well in all 3 appearances. Looks mature beyond his years.
Araujo had a good game and looks a tank, the kind of CB we need. Hopefully he develops nicely this season.
Trincao also looks a tidy little player. I think our future looks bright with the young talent we have.

[Myesyats]

Wasn't all that bad, Sevilla were more defensive than usual and very organized which surprised me too. I just wish we were more attack-minded in the 2nd half. Waited around too much as Sevilla was passing around the back with no purpose.

[Myesyats]

Also, Griezmann is so bad. Absolute trash.

I hope this was his last start.

[danyjr]

Messi with a masterclass.

In standing in the center circle
Watching him standing there while we are getting dominated and the rest of the team is busting their gut is priceless.
And yet this piece of trash and garbage and the worst player on the pitch by a country mile stays on while others are substituted. A complete disgrace to the shirt and I can't wait for the day this piece of stinking hot garbage is thrown out of the club.
Hope Barto stays on as this garbage might end up staying if Font or someone else comes in.

GTFO you piece of trash. You dont deserve to wear our shirt.

To single Messi out when every chance you made was practically him doing magic. And not say a word about Griezmann who kept losing the ball, slowing the attack down, and waste chances with his elephant touches

You're made up son

[danyjr]

On the game, Araujo is meh. Physically good but I wasn't very impressed by his ball control. So is Pedri, don't get the hype around that guy. Granted he is still a teenager but was a mistake to introduce him to turn the match while Dembélé was sitting on the bench. Poor decision.

De Jong didn't play well. I don't remember him put two good performances in a row. He gave the ball away too many times and you can't really rely him to get you out of trouble. The kid gives his all and everything but he is nothing special I'm afraid.

This match was a good wake up call for Barcelona fans thinking relying on a 17 year old to bail you out week in week out was a good idea Fati, while I rate, is nowhere near that level to be relied upon in difficult times. There is way too much expectation on him and unsurprisingly he disappointed.

Trincão, I think he will come good. I don't think he will be amazing, but will be better than that shitshow French white boy. Griezmann should be warming the bench up with his French buddies Dembélé and Umtiti unless you can find someone who'd take them off you in the next day. Highly unlikely.

Coutinho looks free from Messi's shadows and I think we might see the best version of him this season. I don't rate the guy, but at least he's not the miserable midget he once was a couple of years ago.

Last but not least you can't really pass out from the back against a high pressing team any more, those days are truly gone. And when you needed to press Sevilla to go for a late push, you looked stale. An early reminder to realise not much has really changed from last season, so not to expect differently either.

[Myesyats]

Agreed the subs were shit. Should have kept Coutinho (goal threat) and bring in Dembele instead of Pedri.

Also I'm not sure why Koeman pushed De Jong forward when Pjanic came in. Frenkie is a DM.

[alexjanosik]

Messi with a masterclass.

In standing in the center circle
Watching him standing there while we are getting dominated and the rest of the team is busting their gut is priceless.
And yet this piece of trash and garbage and the worst player on the pitch by a country mile stays on while others are substituted. A complete disgrace to the shirt and I can't wait for the day this piece of stinking hot garbage is thrown out of the club.
Hope Barto stays on as this garbage might end up staying if Font or someone else comes in.

GTFO you piece of trash. You dont deserve to wear our shirt.

To single Messi out when every chance you made was practically him doing magic. And not say a word about Griezmann who kept losing the ball, slowing the attack down, and waste chances with his elephant touches

You're made up son

Magic lol. He did jack. Lost the ball in good positions multiple times. Boy, have the standards fallen. And half chances created with that turd of a performance. Ofcourse, when you have a player who has an advantage against every other opponent on the pitch( since this guy is fresh as he doesnt expend any energey whatsoever) and also demands that everything go through him, will create some chances.

Cant use that to justify the tactical nightmare he is. We will continue to play like Stoke as long as he is here.

[Myesyats]

Messi was fine. Everything didnt have to go through him.

Griezmann much bigger issue. You are blinded with hate amigo

[BarrileteCosmico]

He kinda did look like a lost lamb at points. Growing pains as the team adapts to the new system

[alexjanosik]

Messi was fine. Everything didnt have to go through him.

Griezmann much bigger issue. You are blinded with hate amigo

Don't think so. Answer me this. Why does Griezman look like trash ever since he joined Barca? Why does every single player we sign suddenly drop 2 levels? Griezmann went from WC winner (think he was MOM in the final), playing at an elite level to looking like a jobber with us.
Not that I think we should have signed him. Because, I knew he would flop with Messi.
I can go on about every single player we have signed since late 2012 (since Messi became a tactical mess) who has failed.

The only player throughout his career whose game has elevated by playing with him is arguably Alba the past couple of years. Every other player has a higher level without him. That is not coincidence. Most forwards struggle to play with him and midfielders look like complete jobbers with him. The apologists will claim that it is Higuain, Aguero, Suarez, Alexis, Griezman, etc fault.

Truth is, a Messi team is far lesser than the sum of its parts. Most good teams nowadays are greater than the sum of their parts. Perfect examples are the Liverpool and Bayern teams. They don't have a better squad than us and yet would trounce us every single day of the week.

Today's game was a perfect illustration. No pressing from him, does not provide options in attack, does not create space for others, constantly drops in midfield forcing FDJ and Busquets out of position, loses the ball and then doesnt track back, stands ball watching when the ball is 5 yards from him.

But yeah, its Griezmann's fault. A WC winner, something which the mental midget will never get close to touching.

[BarcaLearning]

alex I think we all appreciate your fondness of the youngsters, but the Messi hate after every game has gotta stop? Its just delusional and annoying if u keep saying it every post? I mean keep it to yourself pls since everyone disagrees.

Pedri another promising youngster? I hope im wrong but he looks Barca B level to me from this game. I guess will wait to see more b4 judging though...

[CM Pep]

I've been following Alex since a long time, and I must say he's been a Cruyffist to a fault.

I get where he's coming from. Though the issue with Cruyffism is that many somehow always find a way to disagree with it. I mean even in his autobiography, about 70% of the time he's complaining that no one really understands his way of running a club and playing football.

In a weird parallel, I see that happening with Alex here.

Messi is a problem when you look at it from a commitment point of view. And I also don't get how someone can be the captain, get paid the highest but escaped unscathed when the club goes through bad times. I mean Messi has influenced this barca much more than any of Setien, Valverde and Koeman have.

Obviously we have many more issues apart from Messi, but he's the biggest catch 22 I've seen in my following of any sport.

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