Double your Treble, Double Your Fun: The 2015-16 Season Thread, Part One

Good read on Busquets:

Barcelona's Sergio Busquets holds the key to future midfield

 

God, that peekaboo makes him look like a total tosser.

 

Nice contribution.

 

I can't help it...it is difficult for me to like players who dive. I think it's a scourge on the modern game that should be carded more than fouls. Ronaldo, Robben, Januzaj, etc. make my skin crawl.

 

To be fair to Busquets, he was fouled by Thiago Motta on the play in question. Hands to the face is an automatic booking.
Did he make a meal of the situation? Perhaps. But you cannot deny the foul.
Now, if you want to question the direct red card given to Motta for the foul I'd probably be on board with you.
Still, the foul deserved at least a yellow and since Motta had already been booked earlier in the match his sending off was justified despite what Mourinho wanted people to believe.



And for the record, despite my love for Barca I've been critical in the past of Barca players who have either dived or made a meal of things after apparent/supposed fouls, especially Dani Alves when he first arrived.
I've also been critical of Neymar's showboating when the match is beyond doubt (a la Robben's comments recently regarding Diego Costa) but that's a different matter altogether.
Point being I'll call out Barca players if I'm uncomfortable with their actions. I'm not trying to defend Busquets' peek-a-boo reaction a'tall. I hate it just as much as Real Madrid fans do.
Just saying that he was fouled and that is the reason why Motta was expelled. Referee wasn't conned into anything.

 

Unclesox, I agree. I just got a bit worked up over his theatrics, which I think only served to negatively affect his reputation. A foul is a foul, as you said, and the card there was appropriate. But I wish divers would get carded for simulation more, and not just told to get up (or even worse, rewarded with a card against the other player). Oh, and I can't stand Mou.

 

Kinda rough going if one travels the forums and makes it known which all players one dislikes, especially to the fans of the club of that player. I mean if I hate some Colorado player, I don't go to their forum and start making statements about how I hate their midfielders guts lol.

 

I definitely don't hate his guts; I think he's a great player who keeps getting better. I just think that peekaboo moment was a bad moment for his rep. That's all. I didn't realize how sensitive a comment on theatrics would be taken. After all, it was specifically noted in the article. I didn't realize that was off limits, so I apologize.

You can hate anyone you want on the Colorado Rapids you want, especially if they dive.

 

Yeah, agreed obv, that episode was a bad moment in a great player's career.

FWIW, I don't there's much sensitivity on people criticizing diving, but there's sensitivity on non-fans entering a club part of the forum just to badmouth a player of that club.

Peace.

 

especially when the incident in question happened years ago. get over it and move on.

this is the 2015-16 season thread for FCB fans.

some random anonymous stranger pops up for the first time, and that peekaboo moment is the only thing he takes away from a long article that only mentioned it once in passing. and then he's surprised we're not lining up to welcome him?

 

what's going on with FIFA and La Masia??!!

http://www.sport-english.com/en/news/barca/fifa-hit-barcelona-another-arbitary-action-4487180

 

Florentino Is Football's Arbitrator

 

While I think Pique has his idiotic side, I like that he isn't overly apologetic over stuff he shouldn't be apologetic about.

 

"When Madrid played against Juventus in the Champions League semi-final, I was wearing a Buffon shirt."

"I know it wasn't elegant to talk about Kevin Roldan, but this is a rivalry. I'm proud to be part of this era with Barcelona."

"I'm not sorry for anything. I am like this and I will not change. I want Madrid to lose, always."

Still a ways to go 'til he reaches Hristo-level but I like what he says and how he says it.

Has anyone ever come close to Stoichkov's memorable bash?
"I will always hate Real Madrid. There is just something about them that gets up my nose. I would rather the ground opened up and swallowed me than accept a job with them. In fact, I do not like speaking about them because it makes me want to vomit."
http://bezistena.blog.bg/photos/155635/original/1248158476.jpg

 

Yeah.

I think it's ok and cool to rile up the rivalry a little, but a little meh to be overly aggressive jerk about the rivalry. Pique has definitely not gone too far.

 

this guy is up there too:

 

To be fair that chant had been around for years. Not sure exactly how far it goes back but I have the '92 European Cup final on video including the post-match celebrations after the team received the trophy and as the players held the cup aloft in front of the Barca supporters you can clearly hear the entire 'curve' chanting the phrase.
But credit to Eto'o for yelling it into a microphone for all to hear. Samu was definitely in Hristo's level as far as speaking his mind no matter the consequences..

 

"they hate us cause they anus" -Pique

 

Great read about #10s fitting in at Barca given our 4-3-3 mandate, it goes back historically to many legends (Rivaldo, Maradona, Laudrup, R10, etc.), then looks at Andres closely, then analyzes Rafinha, D. Suarez, and Alen Halilovic and their respective chances. http://www.totalbarca.com/2015/opin...g-midfielders-must-learn-iniesta/#more-182503

 

So for Roma I think we cannot afford much rotation at all but can then rotate a bit at home in the Liga match next weekend. Fortunately Leo got rested, Rakitic came off too (when Leo came on), and Pique was still suspended. Injury wise we are without Alves, Verm, Bravo and Douglas. So this is what I expect to see:
MAtS
S'Roberto-Pique-Masch-Alba
Raki-Busq-Ini
Messi-Suarez-Neymar

Ideally get some rest for 3 of Masch, Ini, Alba, and Raki.