11 - Neymar Jr. - v4

[Alik]

If only we had played with Neymar Suarez Messi just recently for people to remember how important it is to have all three.. oh wait, we did !

Say what you will, but Neymar is the missing part in our attack, the way we stretch defences when he's there, his runs to give messi options, etc .. apparently are not that easy to reproduce.

People saying the attack wasn't the problem ... did you see us score some goal I missed yesterday ? we were toothless, and the front trio the few times they got the ball kept running into walls and crowded spaces.

I don't think anyone here is saying Neymar wasn't missed, just that other players were missed more.

 

[frog-fcb]

Will defenders mark him so tightly when he comes back or stay away from him so they dont catch his mumps

 

[Vlom]

I don't think anyone here is saying Neymar wasn't missed, just that other players were missed more.

They did mate, apparently to some the attack wasn't our problem at all.

With Neymar we could have scored a goal or two, not just because of him, but because of the space it creates for Messi and Suarez too.

With Neymar AND Alba we would have had a fair chance of actually winning, even with that midfield.

Will defenders mark him so tightly when he comes back or stay away from him so they dont catch his mumps

Hahaha, that could be a strategy, mumps attack

 

[Co0ter]

We lost that game because Ter Stegen screwed up big time and Bilbao took the momentum straight to us...into that absolutely horrendous midfield and defense. You can't play all your subs in a cup match. Bartra, Vermaelen, Mathieu, Adriano, Roberto and even Rafinha atm are all players who can step in and not be exposed too much if they have our WC starters around them. If you start them together, the result vs Bilbao is what you get.

 

[LordLichtenstein]

We lost that game because Ter Stegen screwed up big time and Bilbao took the momentum straight to us...into that absolutely horrendous midfield and defense. You can't play all your subs in a cup match. Bartra, Vermaelen, Mathieu, Adriano, Roberto and even Rafinha atm are all players who can step in and not be exposed too much if they have our WC starters around them. If you start them together, the result vs Bilbao is what you get.

Bravo > ter Stegen
Alves
Piqué > Bartra
Mascherano > Vermaelen
Alba > Adriano
Busquets > Mascherano
Rakitic > Roberto
Iniesta > Rafinha
Neymar > Pedro
Suárez
Messi

8/11 was fucking subs. What was Lucho thinking.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

People saying the attack wasn't the problem ... did you see us score some goal I missed

Yeah, I saw 4 goals in 52 minutes vs Sevilla- *without* Neymar. You didn't see that game?

You don't think perhaps a midfield of Rafinha - Mascherano - Roberto and playing 120 minutes against Sevilla a few days earlier might maybe, just maybe, have something to do with a toothless attack against Bilbao?
(and, to give due credit, excellent defensive organization by Bilbao).

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

As pointed above, without Neymar and Alba Messi couldn't use his through ball switch, not even once.

Watch the game. Messi couldn't switch because he had no space to do so (and perhaps too tired to dribble more successfully than he did). He was buried between the Bilbao lines towards the right side and pretty much had to fight off three Bilbao players anytime he saw the ball. He had his hands full trying to break free, let alone find a cross.

 

[Catalan Fan]

Will defenders mark him so tightly when he comes back or stay away from him so they dont catch his mumps

Good point ! he should cough and sneeze over them, if they get too close

 

[Flavia]

Watch the game. Messi couldn't switch because he had no space to do so (and perhaps too tired to dribble more successfully than he did). He was buried between the Bilbao lines towards the right side and pretty much had to fight off three Bilbao players anytime he saw the ball. He had his hands full trying to break free, let alone find a cross.

I watched the game. That's not the only reason why Messi couldn't do it. If Neymar was there, the defenders wouldn't be all over Messi like that, for starters. It's one of the things Neymar does, he drags defenders. But I won't expect you to acknowledge Neymar was missed, haha.

 

[Vlom]

I watched the game. That's not the only reason why Messi couldn't do it. If Neymar was there, the defenders wouldn't be all over Messi like that, for starters. It's one of the things Neymar does, he drags defenders. But I won't expect you to acknowledge Neymar was missed, haha.

+1

Neymar helps stretch the pitch and therefore stretching defences to give both Messi and Suarez space, and vice-versa.

Messi did try to switch, many times in both games he dribbled to the left and was looking around for that killing long ball but there was no one there so everytime it ended up with a simple pass to Alves or Rakitic etc..

But yeah, if Bernie agreed with this i'd be more surprised than if I saw a unicorn

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

I will gracefully agree with you...

...the next time that Neymar wins against Athletic away with Ter Stegen Adriano Verm Bartra Alves Rafinha Masch Roberto Suarez Messi.

 

[Vlom]

I will gracefully agree with you...

...the next time that Neymar wins against Athletic away with Ter Stegen Adriano Verm Bartra Alves Rafinha Masch Roberto Suarez Messi.

Hehe, even then, you probably wouldn't mate

 

[Flavia]

I will gracefully agree with you...

...the next time that Neymar wins against Athletic away with Ter Stegen Adriano Verm Bartra Alves Rafinha Masch Roberto Suarez Messi.

I didn't say we'd win. I wasn't all high and mighty like you, saying stuff like "watch the game". But it'd be a different game. Messi would have more space, and there'd be more opportunities of goals, even with that dreadful midfield.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

I didn't say we'd win. I wasn't all high and mighty like you, saying stuff like "watch the game". But it'd be a different game. Messi would have more space, and there'd be more opportunities of goals, even with that dreadful midfield.

I disagree (clearly). Messi's lack of space had nothing to do with Barça's wide players, but with Athletic's excellent stamina and organization at shifting laterally together and the inability to disrupt the shape in the middle at all. Even so, Barça had several opportunities, and Messi was still set up several times during the game, but his finishing was way off his standard. Neymar's presence/absence was negligible in the face of all the other factors contributing to Athletic's superior performance on the day.

 

[Flavia]

I disagree (clearly). Messi's lack of space had nothing to do with Barça's wide players, but with Athletic's excellent stamina and organization at shifting laterally together and the inability to disrupt the shape in the middle at all. Even so, Barça had several opportunities, and Messi was still set up several times during the game, but his finishing was way off his standard. Neymar's presence/absence was negligible in the face of all the other factors contributing to Athletic's superior performance on the day.

Of course you disagree. Easier for a tree to start talking.