Other Teams ** Everyone Else ** [R]

Ya and Thiago Motta was in the stands tonight

 

Wait for Verratti to put together a string of positive play. The potential was always there. Don't get too excited after one match.

 

Does a string of seasons not count in your book?

 

Alzheimer's is setting in. When he sees Verratti play he usually yells at him to get off his lawn.

 

At least it was a fresh concept in 2014. Barca weren't using tiki taka last night. So maybe counter attacking football with elite forwards is now the dead tactic?

Matching up Sergi Roberto, a converted CM to fullback, on Di Maria and Draxler couldn't have helped their cause.

I love Busquets the player, but he's such a bitch. Barca miss the steel of Puyol. In the two CL finals against United, Barca got rocked early, and they rode it out. That happens to this Barca side, and they turtle.

 

Barca's problems wasn't at FB, their issue was MF. Iniesta is finished. Busquets is a good DM but vastly overrated and Iniesta's play was able to make him look better. Gomes, I don't even know what to say that guy is just average and the fact he starts ahead of Rakitic is criminal.

There were acres of space in MF for PSG and the defenders were just overrun. I'm not saying Roberto is great but Barca's MF is average right now.

 

I don't count the 5 yard passes as a string of seasons.

 

I said I saw it starting to slip after Prandelli wised up again to Spain in the Confed Cup and Scolari followed suit and laid waste to them in the final. No one believed it.

 

Oh yeah, he was a minor issue relatively speaking, but still, I don't think he won a single 1v1.

Fox commentary mentioned it yesterday, but teams are now man marking Busquets, because Iniesta doesn't have the legs and Andre Gomes/Rakitic are lacking in build up. Conte did it in the Euros to Spain, and other managers noticed and followed suit. It eliminates Busquets as the outlet and ends up with the midfield getting overrun.

That boils down to a poor manager for this situation. A micromanagement style drills players on off the ball movement instead of resting on the laurels of player tendency. Sampaoli inbound.

 

from Sal

 

@Falc

Is it really gonna happen D.C.?

D.C. United strikes deal with Audi for stadium naming rights https://t.co/U892zoCEC9 #dcu #mls

— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) February 15, 2017

 

Oh I agree about Roberto. I suppose Enrique fancies him as the next Lahm.

Enrique just is not a good coach and they have made poor transfer decisions and will need to completely revamp their MF. I think Rakitic is still a very good player but for whatever reason LE keeps playing Gomes.

That said this could finally be the year PSG win the CL.

 

Supposedly but until shovels hit the ground, no need to get excited.

 

For Falc, only because I know how much he likes compilations

 

Some great CGI there. Almost looks like he really passes past 5m a couple times in there.

 

What a bizarre sequence leading up to the Arsenal goal.

 

Refs a joke

 

I think the penalty was correct, although a bit weird. Alexis dove for the free kick before that though.

Could've been a penalty just now on Bellerin.

 

2 hand balls this ref didn't give us.

 

3-1 Bayern

 

... and so the Wenger collapse begins

 

4-1 now and 3 handballs for Arssenal.

 

Remember when the captain was the only one allowed to get in the ref's face? Good times.

Arsenal have fully turtled now.

 

Give him another 4 year contract, lol.

 

Is someone playing Jumanji in the Allianz?