Champions League Semi-Final: April 18, 2012 - FC Barcelona v. Chelsea FC - [R]

Watch out! Those shady characters at the Bernabeu seem very keen...

http://sexualpipita.tumblr.com/post/21333498518/eva-carneiro-chelsea-fc-physio-is-real-madrid-fan

 

Before too many more people drone on about Messi, (during which they only confirm their ignorance of the game), let me repeat something that's been said many, MANY times before.... that individual players don't win stuff, teams do. Messi had one or two runs in this game that created problems but was generally pretty easily snuffed out, much as he was in 2009.

It's the REST of Barca that's usually been the problem for us, particularly Xavi and Iniesta.

Of course, that's not to say that Messi won't be the problem next game at the Nou Camp but to listen to some people you'd think we only have to stop him. If we play according to THAT formula it will end in disaster.

But on a more general basis, having watched the game again today, (and a repeat of the highlight bits), and watching Drogba's goal and the fact that he was left with the ball with only the keeper to beat, (albeit with little time to get his shot away), it was actually quite interesting to see how FEW clear cut chances they had. Most of the goalmouth incidents were ones where someone was closing the guy down AND they had a number of defenders in between them and the goal and the keeper still to beat.

Included in their 'shots on target' stats were a Messi header from about 20 yards out, straight at our keeper. Well, no offence to Messi's heading capability but that's not really likely to trouble Cech, is it.

But I guess what REALLY pisses me off is this shit about anti-football.

Football involves both attack AND defense. When Frank robbed Messi of the ball about 8 yards inside our half, do you know how many defenders Barca had in their half of the pitch? ONE! That's right... they had ONE defender, Carlos Puyol. As Frank advances with the ball the entire right hand defensive quadrant, (from their perspective), of the pitch had NO defenders. None at all!

Well quite honestly that's like taking a wiz in the face of Paolo Maldini, Bobby Moore, Franco Baresi and every OTHER defender in the history of the game, not to mention being an absolute insult to their opponents, CFC in this particular case.

I tend to think they'll go through because they'll score a few goals at their place, (and I suspect they'll be given a helping hand by the officials at their place), but in THIS game they got exactly what they were entitled to receive for the lack of respect they gave us and the game of football itself... sod all!

The sooner the punditocracy is cured of this half-baked nonsense that you only have to attack and can forget about the rest of the game, the better. The sight of a side passing aimlessly back and forth across their back line, racking up dozens of pointless passes and going precisely nowhere is, frankly, rather boring.

The truth is that if they HADN'T have thrown that many men forward we could have have come into the game more as an attacking force and it would have been more entertaining. Of course, it ALSO means we likely wouldn't have scored the goal but the game would have been a much better spectacle for the neutral instead of the snooze-fest it must have been for them.

Well, for the uninitiated ones, anyway.

Anyway, rant over. It's not directed against the decent Barca supporters, (of which there are actually quite a few on here), but at some of them and PARTICULARLY the punditocracy dipshits we have to put up with.

 

How many in the Champion League? 14 in 10 games

 

I counted 6 clear, point blank misses by Barcelona. I counted 1 clear cut chance that turned into a goal by Chelsea.

I am a neutral but Holy Shit! I have never seen a major team that showed so much fear in its own field like Chelsea showed in this game.

For a league that markets itself to be the best, this indeed was embarrassing.

 

Huh? Barcelona Anti football? A team known for their flowing game, strong in offense and in defense, anti football? You twist my mind. It was Chelsea who were negative in their own field, scared throughout. I am a neutral and love to watch good futbol, Chelsea certainly did not provide it for me in this game.

 

cant make 1 of 20 shots and cant defend 1 on your own goal, pretty poor team IMHO

 

Yeah, they suck!

 

you are mixing football with this




no one gives a shit about "good football" if you are losing..

 

What you saw last night was intelligence and rational thought. To give a technically brilliant team like UEFAlona boat loads of possession is courageous in it's own right. To play an attacking game like AVB would've liked with our lot? No chance!

You are a neutral, so you should be excited that there is a second leg where Barca needs to score at least two to progress and Chelsea needs a clean sheet.

For a neutral, it's the best game you could hope to see, as the tension that the plot suggests, is pulpable.

I haven't seen any ads where the EPL claims it's the best. It definitely has the largest fanbase, largest TV audiences and TV revenue spread across it's 20 teams keeping the tradition going.

 

The 6th best team in the PL just beat the best team in the world - you'd think any sane person would be arguing the opposite.

 

I respectfully disagree. I think each team is entitled to choose their own style of playing. The Barça fans harking on about Chelsea's style annoy me as much as those who criticize Barça for theirs. Is it wrong for a team to have their very own identity?

 

We're only number 6 in the league. You can't expect us to attack against the best team that ever existed.

 

The best team that ever existed didn't score and in 2009 over two legs they only managed to score one goal in injury time - they were the best team that ever existed in 2009 right? Just checking.

I am beginning to think that they are not the best team that ever existed.


I am thinking a lot of their "possession" is quite meaningless and lacks real penetration.

But, they are the absolute favourites to win this fixture. We are 6th in the league and are having a terrible season. . .

 

Not Sturridge he does not do enough work off the ball.

 

That is a very nice looking piece of cheese.

 

Sometimes he does - sometimes he doesn't. I think for this game that he would . . .his asset in this game would be his counter-attacking speed to help out Drogba.

 

still wouldn't risk playing Danny is the return leg. Seen him jog back way to many times this year that lead to a scoring play.

 

Agreed and remember Barca was awarded 2 penalties to finish Milan, one heavily disputed. now which ref awards 2 penalties at home in a SF fixture to Barca, unless...
Justice was served, good luck Chelsea on the return. you are on the verge of a historic upset!!!
Why is it called an upset, not for Barca's ball possession but for the refs.
However lightning does not hit twice, does it?

 

After the result in the first leg, and the fearlessness that Chelsea players showed on the pitch, Barca are only slight favourites to go through now, IMO.

 

They can win this tie & if they don't win by more than two goal then we are through....I will give up my left nut for a 3-2 loss

 

Times Las Ninas de Teatra, the best whinging cheating diving team in all galaxies then, now, and beyond have beaten an 11 man Chelsea squad

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that said we are probably huge long-shots to finish with 11

 

My issue with Sturridge is that he doesn't play percentages, and I don't feel he is street wise enough for a game like this. I don't think his work rate would be an issue in such a game, but I can see him conceding possession far too easily.

I'd be tempted to bring in Essien for Mata and push Ramirez up to buzz around further up the pitch.