I blame..... (you ready?) The signing of Cesc Fabregas! We could have signed a defender. But we decided to sign Cesc. "Watching his teammates pass the ball around, and not win anything. Cesc Fabregas realizes his Barca DNA was actually Arsenal DNA all along. And that he infected others." Don't know where this is from... a friend just texted it to me. But it seems SPOT ON.
Also if they had scored the penalty. Would have been like 4 or 5 to 1. But my aunt doesn't have balls either.
To be fair to Cesc, this performance by Barca wasn't any worse than the one against Arsenal last year. Messi missing the penalty instead of making it was the difference. Without Cesc yesterday, there wouldn't have even been a penalty for Messi to screw -up. Though he was at fault for Barca not getting at least one away goal.
They play differently against us. Can't really compare. Tevez has much more space to work with than Messi. You take 11 athletic well disciplined quality players and put them on defense and that's what you get.
You live by the sword, you die by the sword. One of the things that makes the team special is the constant pressure up the field. As a result will win balls back quickly and retain possession. What I thought could have been done better, is when Mascherano got but up after his slip, instead of running backwards, he should have ran towards Lampard and cut off the pass. Instead he ran back to cover Ramires who was "marked" by 2 players. Had Mascherano rushed Lampard instead, maybe that pass doesn't get played so easily. Although ... I have to say it was a pretty damn good pass.
It is beyond me how any remotely intelligent person with a fuctioning set of eyes can claim that chelsea deserved to go through. Barca played them off the park in both games, there is no doubt oabout that (yes, they were not as brilliant as they usually are but still). And sure chelski was effective with parking the bus and that much I will give them credit for but going from "defended well" to "deserved to go through" is an instance of irrationality if not downright madness. Now Barca has put me in a difficult situation... Having to choose between Madrid winning it or that piece of trash of a club winning it. I think Madrid woul dbe the wise choice!
^ Well, in football goals count. Chelsea won 3-2 so they deserve it. Simple as that. "Deserved to go through" is also a way to be a gracious in defeat. As for rooting for LPB in the final, come on. Find you Bayern gear tonight and if the worst happens, wave for Chelsea in the final.
The best analog for how this Chelsea victory will be remembered is Greece's run to the Euro 2004 title. Remarkable but not a vintage moment in world football.
I don't agree, the signing was perfect. But I just don't like how Pep has handled his inclusion to the barca team. Imo he should not be in a best starting 11, there are better people than him. Let alone understand why he was given priority in midfield and has actually displaced Iniesta. If something works don't change it.
Below is a message for the Barça forum from Chelsea forum regular Naughtius Maximus. For some reason he was not able to submit it himself (is there some ban in effect I am not aware of? )
Awful lot of money to pay for someone who isn't "good enough" for your starting 11. Do you guys think Pep stays? I hope he does.
I don't know about others but I'm not just being gracious in defeat. Barca don't deserve to go to the final on the back of that performance. Plain and simple. For all their possession, Barca didn't show much creativity or generate many chances in the second-half. Even the shot that hit the post, Cech had it covered so unfortunately even the "unlucky" excuse people say to make themselves feel better doesn't apply this time.
It is interesting to see how Bayern are getting lots of chances in the match today with personnel that are not as good as Barca's. I'm not sure what can be drawn from this only that something can (how is that for being obtuse?).
HEY! I can post again Well there's no question but that you were unlucky but the thing is there is luck involved in most games to a greater or lesser extent. On that specific shot if you watch carefully Cech actually saves it and pushes it onto the post so, as you say, he clearly DID have it covered.
It's because Madrid are sitting further back and allowing Bayern some space to play BUT it also gives your side the chance to get in behind as they move forward. Pretty straightforward really.
Madrid know Barca really well by now and play deeper. Even Ronaldo comes back to defend against Barca.
My sentiments exactly. No disrespect to Chelsea but for me it was more a case of Barca not deserving it than Chelsea deserving it. Over 180 minutes the chances were there. The woodwork was hit four times, a missed penalty... and some damn good saves by Cech. Eh, perhaps Chelsea earned it somewhat through Cech. Much like Casillas, it's tough not to like Cech.
But other than a couple of occasions, Madrid are not getting behind and their passing is just horrible.
Even worse than the missed chances, the first goal we gave up yesterday was inexcusable. Up a goal in the tie and a man, we left our defense completely exposed for no reason, and Puyol was in no-man's land: why would he ever be on the outside of Ramires on that sort of play? Cech made 1 or 2 very good saves, but most of the time he was just in good position or our finishing was not good enough.