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GWT: UEFA Champions League Round of 16
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cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
He did first break through at the senior level as a LW, so maybe that's where the commentator was confused?
maclean
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The Czech commentators were saying the main difference between the two teams was hunger. Barcelona has 3 CL wins over the past 10 years and are used to success and approached the game more 'routinely' while PSG were pouring their heart and soul into it. An interesting perspective at any rate
Savi
Registered User
You really hate Meunier don't you. I thought he was great
But that was as disgusting a performance of Barça as I can recall from the past years. A trashing like this has been a long time coming though, realistically we could have been destroyed a couple of times already this season, notably at Sevilla or at Sociedad
Too many players out of form or injured, lack of hunger, Lucho tinkering with lineups way too much, and some players who are frankly just way too soft for the level Barça needs to reach (Yes Gomes I'm looking at you)
Having said that, PSG were brilliant of course. Di Maria with a vintage performance, reminding everyone of the player he can be, the player he was in his final season in Madrid.
He was terrific, I thought.
I didn't get to see him a lot before, but it seemed he was always a bit awkward because of his big frame - not so anymore.
He's actually making that frame work him now.
Like I said, I thought he had a fantastic game, offensively and defensively.
I don't, I like what he brings offensively (nice assist too).
But there, I can't figure out people saying he was even good defensively yesterday. He was beaten on his first situation (by Neymar) that resulted in Rabiot being booked. 2 minutes in.
Then he repeatedly lost easy balls or made bad choices when pressured with the ball in defensive situations.
He did get better as the game went on, and his rough tackled on Neymar in the penalty box was nice, albeit very risky.
Kurzawa also had a so-so game BTW. I forgot about him. Didn't bring what he could (should) have offensively, and was decent, but hardly rock solid defensively.
Trapp didn't have much to do, he saved the only Barca shot on target very nicely on Gomes.
The pair of CB were great.
Di Maria was fantastic and two well taken goals, but Draxler brought more IMO by his movement off the ball and his ball protection (Di Maria still loses balls he shouldn't).
Cavani had one single chance and he blasted it home. More importantly, he was tremendous in the pressing game.
But as I said, the key was the midfield.
People wondering why I said PSG had Matuidi, Verrati and Rabiot as better than Henderson need to get a look at this game.
East Coast Bias
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In the absence of actual analysis in sports, you can always fall back on "they just wanted it more."
Power Man
Grrrr
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
You say that as though teams don't win because they wanted it more every week.
Power Man
Grrrr
Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
les Habs, are you really going to try and say Barcelona uses their academy? Everyone knows La Masia was once this great academy that produced Messi, Pique, Iniesta, Xavi, Valdes, Reina, Motta, Bellerin, Alba, Busquets, and many others. Now, the players just aren't given the chance. And of course, its very hard for 18, 19, 20 year olds to be of the standard needed to play a lot of matches for Barcelona, but a lot of those players I named were. You might know better. Whether its the talent in the academy or the usage, the academy has not been used by Barcelona much under Enrique. And all you here from Barcelona fans is about these two kids Alena and Lee who are supposedly so good, yet they've combined for 1 first team appearance, and they are both age 19. There are plenty of players their age or around their age contributing for big clubs in Europe like Rashford, Jesus, Dembele, Pulisic, Havertz, Mbappe, and many others, so they aren't too young. Either the best players Barcelona produces aren't good enough for their first team anymore or Barcelona doesn't care about their academy anymore.
The age of their squad is there for anyone to see. Not a single first team player under the age of 23. Do you know how damning that is? Football is a young man's game. I consider anyone 30 or over to be old, so among important players, that includes Pique, Mascherano, Iniesta, Suarez. Messi will turn 30 before next season, and I'm not saying Messi's game will drop off because he's turned 30, but when you rely on so many players who have a lot of miles on the tires, drop-offs can happen. Busqets may only be 28, but he certainly does not look like the same player. Is it just a bad season or is it a drop-off? Iniesta is starting to already drop-off with the injuries and form. Not every player can play 15 top flight seasons at such a high level with no drop-off. Some of these players, whether they were and still are world class just can't maintain that level of performance for such a long time.
Barcelona's buying strategy is flawed. I don't know why they think they are going to get the absolute top younger players to come to their team, and sit on the bench. All these players know they aren't going to start. Maybe in the case of Andre Gomes, they will be incorrectly starting, but thats a weird case because he's only starting because Enrique dropped Rakitic. The reason Barcelona got Alcacer and not Dybala, Icardi, Kane is because the best younger strikers are not coming to Barcelona to sit on the bench. And you can go to every single position on the field for Barcelona where they bring in these Digne's, Umtiti's, Gomes, Alcacer's, D. Suarez. These are all good younger players, but not the top players in their age group, and players who still need to develop. They aren't yet Barcelona quality on a starting basis, and they aren't going to become starting quality, if they don't play.
I don't watch Barca every game, but from what I've seen, that midfield is in shambles. Busquets badly out of previous world class form, trouble brewing between Rakitic and Enrique, Gomes not good enough to do the job, Iniesta never fit this season. And the defense has problems as well. No right-back, Mascherano past it at CB, Umtiti maybe not ready to be a Barcelona caliber starter at center-back. And while I wouldn't consider him a problem, Alba's game seems to have slipped from what I've seen of Barcelona.
The age of their squad is there for anyone to see. Not a single first team player under the age of 23. Do you know how damning that is? Football is a young man's game. I consider anyone 30 or over to be old, so among important players, that includes Pique, Mascherano, Iniesta, Suarez. Messi will turn 30 before next season, and I'm not saying Messi's game will drop off because he's turned 30, but when you rely on so many players who have a lot of miles on the tires, drop-offs can happen. Busqets may only be 28, but he certainly does not look like the same player. Is it just a bad season or is it a drop-off? Iniesta is starting to already drop-off with the injuries and form. Not every player can play 15 top flight seasons at such a high level with no drop-off. Some of these players, whether they were and still are world class just can't maintain that level of performance for such a long time.
Barcelona's buying strategy is flawed. I don't know why they think they are going to get the absolute top younger players to come to their team, and sit on the bench. All these players know they aren't going to start. Maybe in the case of Andre Gomes, they will be incorrectly starting, but thats a weird case because he's only starting because Enrique dropped Rakitic. The reason Barcelona got Alcacer and not Dybala, Icardi, Kane is because the best younger strikers are not coming to Barcelona to sit on the bench. And you can go to every single position on the field for Barcelona where they bring in these Digne's, Umtiti's, Gomes, Alcacer's, D. Suarez. These are all good younger players, but not the top players in their age group, and players who still need to develop. They aren't yet Barcelona quality on a starting basis, and they aren't going to become starting quality, if they don't play.
I don't watch Barca every game, but from what I've seen, that midfield is in shambles. Busquets badly out of previous world class form, trouble brewing between Rakitic and Enrique, Gomes not good enough to do the job, Iniesta never fit this season. And the defense has problems as well. No right-back, Mascherano past it at CB, Umtiti maybe not ready to be a Barcelona caliber starter at center-back. And while I wouldn't consider him a problem, Alba's game seems to have slipped from what I've seen of Barcelona.
East Coast Bias
Registered User
It's lazy analysis. it doesn't tell me anything. It's a completely immeasurable phrase that gets thrown in as a filler.
Do I think teams overlook inferior opponents week in and week out in all leagues? Sure. I guess you can call that wanting it more? But just wanting it doesn't get you anywhere without a game plan.
Specifically, I don't buy it at all in this game, and I also think its unfair to PSG and sells them short here. PSG didn't just hustle a little to make it work. They dismantled Barca.
Diamondillium
DO YOU WANT ANTS!?
All I know is that whoever wins this debate will have won it because they wanted it more.
East Coast Bias
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spintheblackcircle
incoming!!!
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Deficient Mode
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spintheblackcircle
incoming!!!
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Power Man
Grrrr
maclean
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rangerssharks414
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maclean
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