Football 2013-2014

[eFestivals]

Out: Vidic, Evra, Ferdinand, Giggs and any others.

Rio believes he's good enough to deserve another contract.

I think it's time he was drug tested again.

[pink_triangle]

Rio believes he's good enough to deserve another contract.

I think it's time he was drug tested again.

[Jaybles]

What a humiliating reality check that must be for Bayern. They were nowhere near Real for either leg.

[The Nal]

I rather enjoyed seeing Pep's tiki-crapa brand of football being well and truly destroyed by Real Madrid.

Edited April 30, 2014 by The Nal

[Jaybles]

Is that sort of footie done now? Barca declining season on season, Bayern hammered by Madrid, beaten by City, drew with Arsenal. Fucks sake, even Moyes had a go!

You'd wonder about Guardiola. Inherited an incredible Barca squad and an incredible Bayern squad. Both already successful before he took over. Could he take a not so great squad and do well?

[pink_triangle]

Is that sort of footie done now? Barca declining season on season, Bayern hammered by Madrid, beaten by City, drew with Arsenal. Fucks sake, even Moyes had a go!

You'd wonder about Guardiola. Inherited an incredible Barca squad and an incredible Bayern squad. Both already successful before he took over. Could he take a not so great squad and do well?

[pink_triangle]

I hope its done, I have never enjoyed watching it. Its like watching a training session. Surely fans would rather watch exciting fast-paced attacking and counter-attacking football?

Unfortunately I don't think Guardiola will give up on it. Bayern are probably one or two world class defenders away from European champions.

If he is the amazing manager that people seem to suggest, surely he would have realised that his playing style needs to be more flexible than just pass-pass-pass. My opinion of his managerial credentials depends on how he goes on from here.

Edited April 30, 2014 by pink_triangle

[Jaybles]

He isn't the first great manager to take a thrashing and won't be the last. I remember in the past mourinio being unable to avoid thrashings by Barcelona.

Also people talk about when the style has been dull but you also look at the 2 beatings they handed out to man utd which were amazing to watch.

[pink_triangle]

Of course, however Mourinho took some beatings and adapted his playing style to restrict and eventually beat Barcelona. Pep needs to do something similar to prove to me that he is up there with the best.

I'm not saying Barca under Pep were always dull, and they did hand out some impressive beatings, but I would argue this was largely due to the incredible attacking force of Messi providing the skill and attacking edge. Even in those games they spent most of the game hogging the ball in their own half, boring their opponents into a state of slumber.

[Jaybles]

If the oppositions are bored then they should adapt their game to learn how to get the ball and keep it. I personally enjoy the style, even if its not everyone cup of tea.

I think there is an element of overanalysis going on here. Results like yesterday have happened throughout football history particularly in the all or nothing game of knockout football. Nobody talks about the death of counter attack football when a team playing that style loses which happens on a regular basis.

[The Nal]

Maybe teams are adapting to the style and the best ones are learning how to beat it, so it could be Guardiola's brand that needs to adapt to compete next season.

[pink_triangle]

Fair enough if you enjoy it, but I can't get the same level of enjoyment from watching that style of play that I do from watching two teams attacking each other with pace.

Maybe there is a bit of over analysis going on but I believe the Bayern of last season destroying Guardiola's legacy Barcelona, and Real Madrid walking over the new style Guardiola Bayern this season hints at something. Both of these games were in the semi final of the champions league, normally a tightly fought affair, not a 7-0/5-0 aggregate score thrashing.

Maybe teams are adapting to the style and the best ones are learning how to beat it, so it could be Guardiola's brand that needs to adapt to compete next season.

Edited April 30, 2014 by pink_triangle

[The Nal]

Any good team should adapt to any playing style, however it is still an effective style. Of the English teams only Chelsea have really looked to have the answers to playing against the style.

[Jaybles]

City beat them. Arsenal came close. If Welbeck could finish Utd would've been in with a shout.

[ThomThomDrum]

You'd wonder about Guardiola. Inherited an incredible Barca squad and an incredible Bayern squad. Both already successful before he took over. Could he take a not so great squad and do well?

[kaosmark2]

I think people are focusing on the cautious side of tika-taka too much. It is ultimately a style based around exhausting the opponents, but the best teams that do it press ridiculously hard when off the ball to regain it.

I agree it's not as exciting as total football, but it's a damn sight better than classic Italian anti-football.

[The Nal]

As I mentioned previously once Real scored last night the goose was cooked for Bayern. Pep got it wrong and he showed a kind of blinkered insanity. He kept with the same tactic that was hurting them so badly. Playing a high line against Real is suicidal and continuing with the same ploy over and over again against Real expecting different results certainly was insane.

Edited April 30, 2014 by The Nal

[ThomThomDrum]

They don't break quickly. Which is madness with players like Robben and Ribery in the side. They break, stop and then go central again and pass pass pass.

Edited April 30, 2014 by ThomThomDrum

[The Nal]

That was the most infuriating part of watching the last two Bayern CL games. Even the Mrs was screaming at the TV for them to inject a bit of pace and counter if possible. Invariably they would slow it up, pass it about and come up short in the final 3rd.

Edited April 30, 2014 by The Nal

[ThomThomDrum]

Yeah. And they do get numbers in the box but its so slow it means theres no space as its not stretched at all. Real had time to set up for nearly every attack Bayern made. Madness really from Pep.

[kaosmark2]

I think its just becoming a bit predictable. Real didn't bother pressing until Bayern got into the final quarter. Course if you're going to chase them round midfield all night you'll be fucked after an hour. But it seems its easy enough to sit deep and stay tight against them. And Bayern are hopeless with the ball behind them. Sunday league defending at points.

[pink_triangle]

City beat them. Arsenal came close. If Welbeck could finish Utd would've been in with a shout.

[pink_triangle]

I think its just becoming a bit predictable. Real didn't bother pressing until Bayern got into the final quarter. Course if you're going to chase them round midfield all night you'll be fucked after an hour. But it seems its easy enough to sit deep and stay tight against them. And Bayern are hopeless with the ball behind them. Sunday league defending at points.

[pink_triangle]

There was plenty of time when they were not getting bodies in the box also and everyone . 0-4 in Germany is a very impressive result, but in reality it could have be even worse.

[ThomThomDrum]

While 0-4 sounds impressive, the reality is in the context of the tie, it isnt much different to 0-1. Once a knockout game has gone, you often get big scores like that, but Im not sure you can read too much into them.