Re: The Football Thread - 10/11 (II)

[JGK]

Ok. So I've touched down in London and am now about to pick up my fix from the Man U office on Pall Mall.

And it's raining.

[WideWally]

Have fun!

[JKLever]

Ok. So I've touched down in London and am now about to pick up my fix from the Man U office on Pall Mall.

And it's raining.

Ah, so it's your fault.

[taipan]

Ok. So I've touched down in London and am now about to pick up my fix from the Man U office on Pall Mall.

And it's raining.

Swine

[PeterCS]

Have fun Mr K!

[Chivalry Augustus]

Looks like Billy Davies might be on his way out of Forest.

[Guest]

Any ideas on who is favourite to take over? Who is available?

Steve McClaren?

[Chivalry Augustus]

He hasn't even left yet! Strong rumourage that the end of season debrief ended in a stand-off though, leading to possible discussions regarding a severance package. We'll see what happens. Then we'll probably appoint Megson all over again.

[LeFromage]

Kolo Toure's drug ban is six months. Starting from March. So he'll be back in September. Nice when your ban covers the six or so weeks of the off-season.

Not too shabby, all in all. No worse than a ruptured hammy or broken ankle.

[Gary 111]

He hasn't even left yet! Strong rumourage that the end of season debrief ended in a stand-off though, leading to possible discussions regarding a severance package. We'll see what happens. Then we'll probably appoint Megson all over again.

Hands off Megson, he's nicely overseeing our midtable mediocrity, thank you very much.

[taipan]

I see some psychic bloody octopus has predicted a MU win. If the sodding thing is wrong it will be calamari before it can blink its one frigging eye.

[LeFromage]

Barca are massively overrated.

But United's only claim to fame this season is in being just about the most competent team in a weak Premier League.

Two things will happen. Barca will throw themselves on the floor, holding their faces and whining like a hungry toddler at every opportunity - probably every time Rooney goes in for a challenge. And Barca will win.

Won't be a thrashing, but it'll be comfortable. 2-0.

[Chivalry Augustus]

Is there anyone or anything that isn't over-rated to you, Dello?

[doremi]

Sajid Mahmood. Probably.

[LeFromage]

Sajid Mahmood. Probably.

How can he be over-rated? Is that even possible?

[doremi]

Trev called him the new Simon Jones or something, IIRC. Yeah, that sounds accurate for once, but he meant it differently.

[eowyn]

Go Barca!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[beamer]

Barca are massively overrated.

But United's only claim to fame this season is in being just about the most competent team in a weak Premier League.

If Barca are over-rated and United are the least crap side in a poor Premier League, where are all the good teams in Europe? Spain? Real had to resort to destroying tactics to compete with Barca. Valencia were third over 20 points adrift, the rest were so far behind they might as well be in another country. Italy? This AC Milan side were "too old" a decade ago. Germany? We saw Schalke's "quality" in the semis.

Barcelona are certainly not unbeatable, but you have to find a way of getting the ball off them and I'm not sure United have the players to deny them possession or kick the crap out of them like Holland tried to do to Spain in the World Cup final... central midfield is their weakest area and is precisely where you need to be strongest to have a chance against them.

[Gary 111]

Barca are only overrated because many journalists and fans are proclaiming them the best team ever.

I read one article saying if they beat Man Utd they will be indisputably the best European side ever. 2 European Cups in 3 years and 3 consecutive league titles.

However for some reason if Man Utd beat Barca tomorrow, despite the fact they'll have 2 Euro Cups in 4 years (knocking Barca out both times), plus a final, plus 3 league titles they are proclaimed the worst team to win the Premier League....?

[beamer]

Well, I guess it's the possession, style and volume of goals that has people saying they are the best ever. It's a case of judging them on a handful of matches against decent opposition though, as most of the games in their own league are a formality. It's not competitive football, it's exhibition stuff, there's only two league matches a season which really matter, it's just a rich man's SPL now. Bottom half of the EPL would piss on the equivalent teams in La Liga.

They have to win several Champions League titles to be considered the best ever I would say. But the way Spanish football has gone shows why we need to keep the collective TV deals rather than letting the big sides negotiate their own.

[Gary 111]

Well, I guess it's the possession, style and volume of goals that has people saying they are the best ever. It's a case of judging them on a handful of matches against decent opposition though, as most of the games in their own league are a formality. It's not competitive football, it's exhibition stuff, there's only two league matches a season which really matter, it's just a rich man's SPL now. Bottom half of the EPL would piss on the equivalent teams in La Liga.

They have to win several Champions League titles to be considered the best ever I would say. But the way Spanish football has gone shows why we need to keep the collective TV deals rather than letting the big sides negotiate their own.

This is all true.

They also seem to have developed a very stifling defensive style of dominating possession. When was the last time they ever had less than 50% possession - probably not since Guardiola took over. And their average possession stats in the Champs League are increasing year on year (while their average goals per game are going down) so they're getting better at suffocating the oppo too.

[beamer]

As Graeme Souness and Jamie Redknapp pointed out on the Sky preview, they don't even play with an out-and-out striker these days. They used to have an Eto'o or briefly Ibrahimovic up there, with Messi and Henry/whoever else coming from wider positions. Now Messi is the central attacking player but drops deep, and they have Villa and Pedro coming from the flanks and Iniesta and Xavi getting up there from midfield on occasions, any of them can be the furthest forward at any given time with Busquets sitting in front of the back four. You could call it a 4-3-3-0 or 4-1-2-3-0 formation...

[Gary 111]

One of the papers does an interesting graphic in its Monday Premier League round-up showing the average positions taken up by players over the 90 minutes. It would be interesting to see what Barca's would be.

I would wager Alves actually plays further forward than Busquets and many other team's midfielders. Apparently he's had more touches of the ball in the opposition half in the Champs League than all bar 3 players (Xavi and 2 others i'm not sure of - Messi?)

[Gary 111]

Still, for me I think that 2009 Barca team was the best vintage, Eto'o gave them a real cutting edge, he is so quick and skillful and much more clinical in front of goal than Villa. Apparently he was also a complete kn0b, which was probably why they were so glad to see the back of him (although they exchanged him for Ibra who is possibly the only player more arrogant in world football).

That 2009 vintage Barca team will, I think, go down as one of the best ever:

---------------------------Valdes------------------------
Alves---------Puyol------------Pique--------Abidal
--------------Busquets or Yaya Toure--------------
-------------Iniesta---------------Xavi------------------
Messi-------------------Eto'o-------------------Henry

Maybe they have more squad depth now, but the likes of Marquez, Keita and Pedro were in the squad too back then. No obvious weak links save perhaps Valdes, but the way he uses possession can actually be a great strength - if they replaced him for a better shot-stopper they might lose this.

[PeterCS]

nice use of dashes

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