A championship winning team do not stutter badly at the end of the season. Arsenal did. For all I know, if I needed to choose a BPL winner last season to save my life, I wouldn't choose other than Chelsea or Man Utd. In the end, Man utd won, and by some margin as well. It was quite predictable

A lot, a lot

What a game now. If not because of Soldado's miss, we would be down 2 goals already...

I think probably this is the best all round performance by an opposing team against us.

Now we are back with 4 defenders.

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Added on September 22, 2011, 5:21 amThiago on.

Damn, I think we just reverted to 3 defense again.

This post has been edited by matyrze: Sep 22 2011, 05:21 AM

I screamed so hard after that Guaita save. What a move.

I think the result is fair. Both teams were great. Hats off to Valencia.

And Cesc-Messi combination is set to be our driving force for years to come. Maybe when Pique is back we will get to see the holy trinity of La Masia? I can't wait.

This post has been edited by matyrze: Sep 22 2011, 06:12 AM

If there's one thing I'd like to ask Villa to improve on, please, stop getting caught offside

I heard Diego will be unavailable for Atletico? If yes that will be a major boost for us

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated the thread for a very long time. I see we have a new cule here. Welcome Blurnotion

Oh and for the news, I see we are rapidly becoming a racist club eh? After that stupid Villa rumor, now Cesc has become the the latest victim? So far Cesc has been adamant in denying the accusations through his twitter.

Cesc obviously said something. I think he has some histories of being contentious on the pitch ever since his Arsenal and La Masia days. But to suggest that he threw racist remarks? So far no concrete evidence showed, like Villa and Busi's cases. This stupid rumor will die soon enough I think.

Be careful there. I'm pretty sure that you, like me, don't know Spanish much. Even if we have a seemingly strong evidence, we still don't understand what Canal people said in Spanish.

And like you've put it, Cesc ALLEGEDLY insulted Kanoute. You see? That's the best you can put it. Because in truth nobody is sure 100%.

And what about Abidal, who was just about metres away from Cesc during the incident? Shouldn't he also reacted towards whatever horrible things Cesc may have said?

Cesc did clarify things, if you followed his twits. Saying how he's been working with people of various background,and that his latest GF is Lebanese, and he'd never make racist remark while his own social circle consist of many people from many races. But of course since he is a Barca player that's never sufficient right?

A drab win, I think that's the only highlight. I think the players are really exhausted. IINM internatiobal friendly is just around the corner right? Another burden for them?

2 successive hattricks, without Xavi and Iniesta supporting him. Messi is nothing without them eh? Isn't it just amazing that Messi has been answering critics throughout his young career by his performance on the pitch, and never with his big mouth?

Highlight and the sight of speechless Skysport pundits.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm349x_fc...port#from=embed

Well he didn't suggest we were successful with our supposedly "plan B" aka the crossing game. In truth during that season it was proved that we have no decent crosser and, yes as you pointed out, Ibra was not a good header.

But Cuenca has been a revelation so far. He helped the team a lot with his crosses. Perhaps we will see more goals like the one Cesc scores. Now its time for our midget players to learn how to time their late runs into the box to attack the ball. I think Cesc and Thiago are the best ones at doing this among current players.

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Added on November 3, 2011, 3:05 pmOh and apparently Cuenca is a freestyler too



This post has been edited by matyrze: Nov 3 2011, 03:05 PM

"Barcelona was a childhood dream and I was walking on air, It started well but then Messi started to talk."

"He wanted to play in the middle, not on the wing, so the system changed from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1."

"I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed."

"So I asked for a meeting with Guardiola - for a discussion, not an argument."

"I said I was being used in the wrong way and that they shouldn’t have bought me if they wanted another type of player."

"I told him what a friend had said to me - 'you bought a Ferrari but drive it like a Fiat'."

"The chat seemed to go well but then Guardiola started to freeze me out."

"I would walk into a room; he would leave. He would greet everyone by saying hello, but would ignore me."

"I had done a lot to adapt - the Barca players were like schoolboys, following the coach blindly, whereas I was used to asking 'why?'."

"I like guys who run red lights, not pedantic and strict rules. So I tried to be overly nice, didn’t dare lose my temper."

"But after this I stopped trying to adapt. For example, at Barca players were banned from driving their sports cars to training."

"I thought this was ridiculous - it was no-one’s business what car I drive - so in April, before a match with Almeria, I drove my Ferrari Enzo to work. It caused a scene."

"Pep was staring at me and I lost it. I thought ‘there is my enemy, scratching his bald head’. I yelled to him: ‘you have no balls!’ And probably worse things than that."

'You are s***ing yourself because of the lose against Inter. You can go to hell!’ I was completely mad."

"I threw a box full of training gear across the room, it crashed to the floor and Pep said nothing, just put stuff back in the box."

"I’m not violent, but if I were Guardiola I would have been frightened."

credit to Barcastuff, as Ibra wrote in his book.

So guys, what can you make of this?

I think his story has shaded some interesting nature inside our dressing room atmosphere. The 'schoolboy' word just show that Pep has put a number of restrictions, and our players are just happily obliged to follow them. No ego whatsoever occur. I think I'm pretty much prefer that kinda atmosphere in our team. Much more stability in it. Well, of course it was until Ibra cause the scenery.

Secondly, I think it just put to the bed the accusation that Pep didn't want Eto'o because of his attitude, because if Pep did, surely he wouldn't want another hot headed guy. As I said in previous thread (or was it 2 years ago?), the 'feeling' was just about football, and nothing personal.

Oh well, Pep for all his accomplishment, is still a rookie. Much things to learn I suppose in terms of relationship with his players. Or maybe in choosing which player to buy.

Yeah Ibra acted like a douche. That's pretty obvious. But I think Ibra had a point about the Ferrari Fiat bit. It seemed like Pep didn't have definite plan for him. Like you pointed out, if he had planned to play Messi in the false 9 role, then Villa was the much better choice than Ibra, as Ibra's best role is the false 9 too. And its incredibly surprising considering how serious our efforts were, both monetary and time. I can't fault him if he feels that he had wasted his time at Camp Nou.

Last night I watched the B team played against Cordoba. Gerard and Espinosa were playing. Both had pretty average game, but Gerard did flourished during early stages and scored the only goal. He drifted away badly thereafter though. But I heard he has bern good witht he B team so far. I heard he was given atanding ovation at Huesca iinm last week.

Are you following the Youth Champions League?

Wow Cesc very nice header, 1-1 LOL

Well it made the game too fast paced at times, that Busquets looked lost in the middle. Good fight put up by Los Leones so far. Great defensive tactic and counterattack plan.

Yeap, horrible pitch. Overgrown grass, heavily clogged with water. Furthermore they were absolute lucky to get the 2nd goal. But I guess we were also kinda lucky with Messi's goal and Amorebieta's sending off. So can't complain much I guess. What struck me the most is how on earth Athletic had the stamina to defend like that? And all them had that sudden burst of pace to catch up our players even Messi.

Yeah I guess you are right there. Seriously it was one hell of an energetic display though.

Btw, anyone know why Villa didn't start? I didn't know any fitness problems about him.

At least he brought off all our midfielders for the 2nd half