Only with Guardiola and a little with Villanova, they need an top manager, Sampaoli or Sarri!
Champions League Round of 16 (14th Feb - 15th Mar)
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
There is a minority of PSG fans who don't like Cavani because of his technical skills!
Random thoughts
- In France, a lot of PSG football fans think a player like Digne has not the level required to play for a club like Barcelona.
- I think MSN plays too much games. Who is the 4th best offensive player? In the past, you had a player like Pedro on the bench to enable the other players to rest.
- Dani Alves hasn't been replaced
- Xavi is unrepleaceable
On the whole, you need more players IMO
Enrique spent time under Pep as well. He managed B team i think.
Koeman, Sampaoli from Sevilla or Paco Jimenez.
Today I had the impression of a total degeneration of Barcelona's trademark style. In a Barca game, one team completely choked the other with midfield dominance, aggressive pressing and confident build up play. And that team was not Barca. That's pretty tough.
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If it was only the minority of PSG fans I would understand, when you have posters here saying that Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez are better I do not understand nothing about football!
No Paco Jemez no, he doesn't know how to organize defensively an team who has to play offensive football.
Sarri would kill him sleeping, Koeman and Sampaoli ok, Jemez no chance, for that if we are speaking about Spanish coaches, Ernesto Valverde!
Of course, it's ridiculous to downplay his performances with clubs and Uruguay.
In the last seasons, Cavani was deployed as a left or right wing forward so he was underachieving. For example, he did nothing against City (1st and 2nd leg) because he isn't born to play on the wings.
Digne is only a backup player. He's good enough to act as cover.
Turan has scored 13 goals this season. That's a healthy return for a squad player.
Yes try to explain that to them, I am not going to lose my calm when I read that stuff, because it will come some guy saying what are you doing in an English Forum and Ligue 1 is patethic, I don't know where the Cantonas, Vieiras, Henry's, Ginolas, Wiltord's. Makelelé's, Kantés and others played, maybe in another country who is not France.
What will Ray Wilkins say about this?
Agree with everything
*Things I learned from tonight:
- Never seen Leo show so little heart. He needs to be criticized, just like Ronaldo or anyone else gets criticized for not having good games. He's no different.
- Rakitic must feel like leaving. How the feck could Enrique select Gomes ahead of him? He offers absolutely fecking nothing.
*Things I knew before tonight:
- Gomes will never be good enough.
- Roberto will never be a RB. Enrique takes ALL the blame for not solving RB in the Summer.
- Luis Enrique is a fecking idiot. (In case you needed reminding)
- Barca midfield is TOO slow physically when we are countered against. (Iniesta/Busquets jogging for the 4th goal)
- Suarez is dog shit when he's not scoring/assisting because he offers feck all else other than brainless running.
- Umtiti/Pique still haven't clicked as a partnership. One is ultra aggressive while the other stands off way too much.
- Barca was ALWAYS going to get smashed by a proper team considering Barca has been piss poor for months, and we all knew it.
- Barca wasn't going to win the CL, and they're now OUT of it IMO. Barca can't stop them scoring at home. PS - If magically Barca gets through, they'll get smashed again by the next proper team.
- Emery is a great manager who deserves more credit.
- Verratti is better than all of Barca's midfield players. Brilliant player.
- Busquets spends too much time fecking moaning at referees over nothing tackles instead of playing football. Other players in our team likewise. Man the feck up.
I thought Barca was going lose tonight tonight they didn't just lose, they were annihilated.
Barca is not winning SHI* THIS YEAR
- Never seen Leo show so little heart. He needs to be criticized, just like Ronaldo or anyone else gets criticized for not having good games. He's no different.
- Rakitic must feel like leaving. How the feck could Enrique select Gomes ahead of him? He offers absolutely fecking nothing.
*Things I knew before tonight:
- Gomes will never be good enough.
- Roberto will never be a RB. Enrique takes ALL the blame for not solving RB in the Summer.
- Luis Enrique is a fecking idiot. (In case you needed reminding)
- Barca midfield is TOO slow physically when we are countered against. (Iniesta/Busquets jogging for the 4th goal)
- Suarez is dog shit when he's not scoring/assisting because he offers feck all else other than brainless running.
- Umtiti/Pique still haven't clicked as a partnership. One is ultra aggressive while the other stands off way too much.
- Barca was ALWAYS going to get smashed by a proper team considering Barca has been piss poor for months, and we all knew it.
- Barca wasn't going to win the CL, and they're now OUT of it IMO. Barca can't stop them scoring at home. PS - If magically Barca gets through, they'll get smashed again by the next proper team.
- Emery is a great manager who deserves more credit.
- Verratti is better than all of Barca's midfield players. Brilliant player.
- Busquets spends too much time fecking moaning at referees over nothing tackles instead of playing football. Other players in our team likewise. Man the feck up.
I thought Barca was going lose tonight tonight they didn't just lose, they were annihilated.
Barca is not winning SHI* THIS YEAR
I thought the passion he showed today was great and I loved the pure joyfulness of his goal celebration.
I don't like the term 'overrated' but Digne is overrated IMO: 22 millions for a guy who was the sub of Maxwell with PSG. Roma has him on loan and didn't want to pay more than 7 millions to acquire him on a permanent basis.
Luis Enrique isn't perfect but Barcelona needs more players, more competition, more freshness. The team seemed to be tired physically or/and mentally. Maybe just bad preparation.
To illustrate my point, Di Maria is doing well since 6 weeks because he was under pressure: on the bench 3 games in December/January, Draxler acquired at a high price to play on the left and Lucas Moura who scores more goals than ADM as his new competitor for the RW position.
PSG has recruited 2 new players this winter and nobody left the club so that the team is regenerating.
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Oh, I agree that they overpay for players. But that comes with being Barcelona.
The team has been very successful these past two seasons; a Treble and domestic double. With the squad ageing (Messi 29, Suàrez 30, Turan 30, Iniesta 32, Busquets 28, Piqué 30 and Rakitić 29), they need to inject some youth into the starting XI.
They have a lot of experience, but you can't match hunger.
Verratti has just spoken to the French TV and highlighted that the team was extremely well prepared.
After all, the FC Sevilla side of Emery won 2-1 against Barcelona at home last year.
After all, the FC Sevilla side of Emery won 2-1 against Barcelona at home last year.
They had injected some youth only in defence with Umtiti and Digne who are young.
Their midfield needs new challengers indeed.
When he was a child playing for his local team, he had to score in order to get an ice-cream: that was the deal with his father!
They have too much quality to not be close to success. The difference is the performances.
The 2 standouts are 4-0 vs Real and 3-0 vs Bayern. In the 1st Iniesta was a man possessed vs 2-man midfield of Modric-Kroos, in the 2nd they played against a genuine back 3 (not 5) and Messi turned up.* Otherwise they have been outplayed quite a lot in these seasons: Real have controlled the midfield in both Clasicos under Zidane, Atleti outplayed them in the CL last year (dominating midfield), and they have been reliant on individual quality (Messi turning up has saved them many many times) not tactical superiority.
They don't have any plan. Busquets and Iniesta are not suited to a team where the midfield only provides a platform for the forwards, and retreats quickly - Rakitic is, but the defence isn't suited to sitting deep and seeing out long spells of pressure. While the squad means MSN have to be given priority.
If they keep building around MSN (or replacing Suarez with someone), they need to abandon their traditional midfield ideas and get transition players with great energy - Rabiot as the example, and also upgrade their fullbacks urgently. And they need someone to have the convictions to make these changes with some plan.
Contrast with the number under Pep: 6-2, 5-0, 2-0 vs Madrid, 2-0, 3-1 vs United, 4-0, 3-1 vs Arsenal, (many of them the scoreline doesn't reflect the dominance) infinite times they thrashed Valencia/Sevilla/Atletico/Villareal.
He didn't won the tournament back to back though and it was Juan Antonio Pizzi the guy who was coaching them in the Copa América Centenario, but yeah he was very good for Chile as well and coached them to play a good style capable of outperforming Argentina.
Ah, that explains it! Instant happy regression to ice cream mode after scoring.
Not romantic, but they are a good side and play some quality football. Been unlucky to always face Barca at their pomp.
I don't understand the point. They didn't win a CL post Ibra either as of right now.
Maybe I'm being harsh having gotten used to big Dave, but weren't goals 1,2 and 4 saveable?
I wonder how much that has to do with the pressure of being in finals, which is something Argentines apparently cannot handle. Argentina beat Chile 2-1 in the group stages and 2-1 in the World Cup qualifiers.
This is just the universe conspiring to get Leicester crowned as the european champions. Barca and Dortmund, two strong contenders, one surely out and the other on the verge. It's looking as likely as their league win as the season progressed last season.
Really sad to see a team with Messi, Iniesta, Suarez, Neymar and Pique, get the thrashed by PSG. Shows you how much of a difference a good manager/bad manager can be to the team. The blame is all on Enrique and the Barca board. Yes the players were poor, but Barcelona is not the first team to play with makeshift fullbacks. Except for the RB role all the other players would walk in to most top teams. Plus unlike teams like Real Madrid, PSG etc. (top teams who seemingly only to do galactico signings where the players don't gel ) the core of Barcelona has been playing together and cannot use the excuse of lack of cohesion. Such a shame.
Impressive victory by PSG, dint think they had it in them to be so convincing after their poor results in the recent months.
These results once again show how great a manager SAF was, bringing united so many trophies, despite having numerous injury crisis periods.
Impressive victory by PSG, dint think they had it in them to be so convincing after their poor results in the recent months.
These results once again show how great a manager SAF was, bringing united so many trophies, despite having numerous injury crisis periods.
Ridiculous post.
You do know full well why nobody tried to get him.
Actually I think United did try to get him at some point or at least that's what the rumors were saying.. Anyways I think he's a class above any Barca midfielder after today's game when he's not injured.
Serves Enrique right for ignoring Rakitić lika that.
Apparently MSN had 0 shots on target against PSG.
Managed to only catch the first half. Really didnt expect a 4-0 scoreline when I checked the score this morning.
It was great to watch PSG do a Barcelona on Barcelona. The high press along with some superb one touch football was just a joy to watch. Also, was very surprising to see how many times Messi lost the ball yesterday.
It was great to watch PSG do a Barcelona on Barcelona. The high press along with some superb one touch football was just a joy to watch. Also, was very surprising to see how many times Messi lost the ball yesterday.
Did anyone see Benfica Dortmund?
I could only catch the highlights but even watching those instead of the full game was absolutely infuriating. How many chances can a team miss. Absolutely shocking failure by them in front of goal! From the highlights it looks like they should've won by 5 goals.
I could only catch the highlights but even watching those instead of the full game was absolutely infuriating. How many chances can a team miss. Absolutely shocking failure by them in front of goal! From the highlights it looks like they should've won by 5 goals.
Benfica had like one chance and that's it. Dortmund was a lot better but without goals you can't win a game. Still see them going through if they use their chances at home more effectively.
About time PSG stepped up in Europe, I thought when they eliminated Chelsea a few years ago they would move on but they didn't. I don't know why they seem a very unlikeable team despite having some fantastic footballers playing for them. Lucas Moura looked very good last night, even at 4-0 up he was still chasing.
Nothing I can say about Veratti that hasn't been said already about how class he looks.
No idea what happened with Barcelona but arguably its been coming the last few weeks/months.
Have a feeling that if Barcelona don't progress (more than likely but you never know) than this will be the reason Luis Enrique gets the boot, unless he somehow wins the league this season and Madrid look too strong for that.
Nothing I can say about Veratti that hasn't been said already about how class he looks.
No idea what happened with Barcelona but arguably its been coming the last few weeks/months.
Have a feeling that if Barcelona don't progress (more than likely but you never know) than this will be the reason Luis Enrique gets the boot, unless he somehow wins the league this season and Madrid look too strong for that.
Isn't that pretty obvious? Because they only got to where they are today because they strike the lottery, just like City and Chelsea.
Didn't Lucho just win the Treble two years ago, and the League and Copa del Rey last year? And you want him out if he wins nothing this year?