Barcelona 2017/18

PepG said:
So now i hope people will realise that the quality of the play the style is MORE IMPORTANT than some random victory. Valverde should be sacked right now because he betrayed the DNA of Barcelona! Coward and nothing to offer. Such a shame!
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Wonder if they go after Laudrup again considering he was their first choice in the summer.
 
I'm usually chuffed to bits when they get eliminated but the fact you just know Liverpool will be jammy and draw Roma next round leaving them with one potentially fluke final from winning the cup again. That has killed what would normally be celebrations for me.
 
There will be a lot of talks about Messi, but Suarez has been horrendous in this CL campaign, offered absolutely nothing.

Deservedly out of CL.
 
Ishdalar said:
Not just being conservative, him having 0 clues of the leg is the worst part.

He fielded the same 11 that got lucky in the Camp Nou, and then left Dzeko keep controlling long balls alone for 80 minutes, 2 defenders + Semedo and Alba were a huge missmatch today, not only he failed to predict it, he did nothing at half time and took 80 minutes to make his first move, and what a move bringing Gomes in, Dzeko was still free to do as he pleased.

He has Vermaelen to field a 3-3-3-1 and kill Roma at the counter, he has Denis to swap Iniesta when he was totally wasted 60 minutes into the game, and still... nothing. I haven't seen a worse tactical job in this club since Charly Rexach.
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I think that defeat is going to seal his fate.
 
Jim Beam said:
There will be a lot of talks about Messi, but Suarez has been horrendous in this CL campaign, offered absolutely nothing.

Deservedly out of CL.
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He’s on the decline, imo. People are questioning why they might be after Griezmann but it could well be to play as a false 9 or even in the Suarez role. He’s had patches over the last couple of seasons where he’s shown a bit of form, but he’s not been great in either season.
 
Ish said:
He’s on the decline, imo. People are questioning why they might be after Griezmann but it could well be to play as a false 9 or even in the Suarez role. He’s had patches over the last couple of seasons where he’s shown a bit of form, but he’s not been great in either season.
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I fully agree. Can't see him as a world-class striker anymore, he has numbers in La Liga, but this is second season in a row where he is nowhere to be seen in the knockout stages when it counts. You can see a clear difference in his performances from 3 years ago and now.
Also think that Griezmann will take his spot, maybe not right away, but pretty soon.
 
the only real surprise here is that this happened after 4-1 and it was done by Roma of all clubs. there was nothing surprising about tonight's performance though, because the result from the first game was down to pure luck to begin with.

current Iniesta, Gomes and Rakitic is midfield that is more suitable to Schalke or Fiorentina. none of them would be starting for United, let alone City. and if Messi isn't in his godlike form, Barca really can't do much. they didn't do much at Stamford Bridge as well, but luckily for them Christiansen gifted them an away goal. Roma weren't giving anything tonight and that was the main difference.

Valverde will win the league & cup purely because of one player, but he should be under great pressure now, not because of this loss, but because he had the whole season and Barca still can't outplay anyone. when it comes to one-man teams, Barca is probably the worst case I've ever seen and it seems that isn't going to change.
 
Already Chelsea could upset them, they were very lucky in both games.
 
Robbie Boy said:
Suarez is a shadow of hos former self. That was pathetic stuff tonight.
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he has been like that for a while now. I watched some of his games for Ajax and plenty of them for Liverpool and man, he used to be good at dribbling. how ironic is that you lose your first touch (and pretty much everything) at Barca of all clubs :lol:

must be frustrating for Barca fans to watch him start every week no matter what.
 
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Infordin said:
We need a whole new midfield...

Humiliating.
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Yep. I've been saying it for ages. Iniesta is finished. Rakitic, Gomes, Denis Suarez and Paulinho aren't even close to being Barcelona standard. Busquets is the only midfielder who gets a pass.

Early days but I don't think Dembele will pan out. Was always a ridiculous replacement for Neymar. There's only one guy they should have been going after to replace Neymar - Eden Hazard.
 
Today must have been a heartbreaking for their fans. Can't imagine myself if a comeback is made against my team like this, I'll probable hate watching anything football related for at least 2-3 days. I did that when we lost to Sevilla anyway.
 
Jim Beam said:
I fully agree. Can't see him as a world-class striker anymore, he has numbers in La Liga, but this is second season in a row where he is nowhere to be seen in the knockout stages when it counts. You can see a clear difference in his performances from 3 years ago and now.
Also think that Griezmann will take his spot, maybe not right away, but pretty soon.
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Yeah. They probably need an entire midfield as well. Busquets also looks a shadow of his former self, imo. Maybe fatigue/injury or just a real lack of quality next to him? Even Rakitic hasn’t been great for a while now, odd performance aside.
Bole Top said:
the only real surprise here is that this happened after 4-1 and it was done by Roma of all clubs. there was nothing surprising about tonight's performance though, because the result from the first game was down to pure luck to begin with.

current Iniesta, Gomes and Rakitic is midfield that is more suitable to Schalke or Fiorentina. none of them would be starting for United, let alone City. and if Messi isn't in his godlike form, Barca really can't do much. they didn't do much at Stamford Bridge as well, but luckily for them Christiansen gifted them an away goal. Roma weren't giving anything tonight and that was the main difference.

Valverde will win the league & cup purely because of one player, but he should be under great pressure now, not because of this loss, but because he had the whole season and Barca still can't outplay anyone. when it comes to one-man teams, Barca is probably the worst case I've ever seen and it seems that isn't going to change.
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Yeah chelsea was really unlucky - especially with their unlucky finishing in front of goal. Agree with what you’ve posted there.
 
Vato said:
Barca lucky with the draw. They get Roma, the rival that the Barca squad wanted for the quarters.
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Oh okay. Cheers mate!
Where's that pique tweet when he made a reference to the teams real beat in 15/16 season to reach the final? Citing that real had an europa league route (citeh, wolfsburg, ROMA)
 
I wouldn't worry about Liverpool getting Roma.
Roma are no mugs.
 
Ish said:
I think that defeat is going to seal his fate.
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It should, he has too many flaws to handle a roster of Barcelona level, you can't leave a guy like Semedo out for months, with Sergi and Aleix ahead of him, just to throw him at the lions (never more fit) at Rome.

And that's just one of his many sins.
 
Bole Top said:
the only real surprise here is that this happened after 4-1 and it was done by Roma of all clubs. there was nothing surprising about tonight's performance though, because the result from the first game was down to pure luck to begin with.

current Iniesta, Gomes and Rakitic is midfield that is more suitable to Schalke or Fiorentina. none of them would be starting for United, let alone City. and if Messi isn't in his godlike form, Barca really can't do much. they didn't do much at Stamford Bridge as well, but luckily for them Christiansen gifted them an away goal. Roma weren't giving anything tonight and that was the main difference.

Valverde will win the league & cup purely because of one player, but he should be under great pressure now, not because of this loss, but because he had the whole season and Barca still can't outplay anyone. when it comes to one-man teams, Barca is probably the worst case I've ever seen and it seems that isn't going to change.
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They missed Coutinho to provide more of a creative spark. But I agree, their midfield needs an overhaul.
 
Ishdalar said:
It should, he has too many flaws to handle a roster of Barcelona level, you can't leave a guy like Semedo out for months, with Sergi and Aleix ahead of him, just to throw him at the lions (never more fit) at Rome.

And that's just one of his many sins.
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Yeah. Selection, formation and tactics can probably all be faulted. But it’s not only that, what’s been more telling is that it’s been the most un-Barca like team I’ve seen in a while. Not good in possession. Depending solely on Messi brilliance in the league. I’ve seen you been out played by some smaller teams, yet you still managed to win somehow.

As a lot have predicted, it just seemed like a defeat was coming - especially against the big teams who will take their chances. And it happened tonight.
 
sun_tzu said:
Ok... Can we have
dembele, rakitic, busquets, coutinho
And perhaps iniesta for a season as well
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If it was on my hand, I'd let you have Iniesta tomorrow in the morning. He's an all time great for the club, but he's been our 2nd worst midfielder this season.
 
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