you are so obsessed with tall, strong players. theres more to football than thugs dude
Don't really need to be tall to be considered a good football player.
I have wrote millions of lines here, and you still don't get what my problem with tall and short players is...
My idea is: that technique is the most important skill, of course.
But it works only to a certain extent.
You can win with technical and physically weaker or average players ONLY if you are way superior in technique.
Something like:
Barca technique 10/10, physique 5/10
Bayern technique 7/10, physique 8/10
In this case, we will usually win and dominate.
The problem is that we (Barca) have hit a plateau more or less in terms of physical skills 20-30 years ago.
We haven't improved in technique too much (because it is impossible to improve much more).
Yet, other BIG TEAMS (big teams, NOT Getafe, a key part) have closed the gap with us in terms of technique (Bayern, Real, English teams, Juve, Roma).
And yet, they were always physically stronger than us, and lately they have improved even more.
So, Barca vs Italian team 10-20 years ago was something like:
Barca Technique 10/10, Physique 5/10
Italian team Technique 7,5/Physique 7,5/10
And today, that looks more like:
Barca (the same as 20 years ago, zero improvement): Technique 10/10, Physique 5/10
Italian teams: Technique 9/10, Physique 9/10
So, other big teams have closed the gap in terms of technique.
But are way better than us in terms of physique: strength, height, stamina, pace, physical duels, attacking corners, defensive corners, crosses.
And some of you will reply: you don't need crosses, duels and physique IF you CAN dominate in technique.
But the problem is: we can't dominate in technique anymore, because the opponents have evolved and closed the gap in technique.
And then: when we are similar in technique, who wins matches?
= a team who is better in other areas, like physical duels, counters, crosses, attacking corners, defensive corners etc.
This is exactly why I am saying all the time: you can win La liga with Arthur&Puig duo.
That can work against Getafe and Las Palmas.
That won't work though against English teams, Juve, Roma, Bayern, Atletico in a CL.
Also, another problem is that lately big matches are tight 50:50 games (CL knockout matches and World cup knockouts).
And lately, you could have seen that in those matches:
= it is hard top create a chance through the middle with shortpassing and "classical football".
And France, Real and other teams were winning matches with headers after crosses, headers after corners, headers after free kicks.
So, if you can win against Juve/Bayern/Atletico in Barca's way and win 3:0=fine.
But that is not happening lately, isn't it?
How DO actually our CL knockout matches look like lately?
= tight 50:50 matches without clear chances.
And goals are scored from counters, corners, penalties, free kicks or headers after crosses.
Remember how France won a World cup?
With tons of counters, free kicks, penalties, and headers after corners and free kicks, almost in every match.
How have RM won last 4 CLs?
= in the same way
So, against France and Real in semis and finals:
1. they will score from corners for 1:0
2. they won't concede from corners in the defense due to their physicality
The only way to win against France and Real is to totally outplay them.
On the other hand, how to win against Barca?
= just play a 50:50 match, wait for a few corners and counters and that's it.
Barca is quite easy to beat in 50:50 matches.
Real (with CR7) and France=extremely hard to beat.
This is why I am saying that we can't win CLs with Arthur, Puig and similar players.
With that type of players, you can win ONLY if you will win every match with 3:0.
On the other hand, in rocky days, in 0:0 matches, we will crumble in the 80th minute after crosses and corners.
For example, our last few CL exits.
Let's check how exactly were we killed in those matches:
Roma 3:0
1:0 Dzeko, a LONG BALL, 170 cm Alba being too short, 193 cm tall Dzeko scores easily
2:0 a penalty
3:0 189cm tall Manolas, A CORNER KICK, scoring a header over 177cm tall Semedo.
For those who will reply: Semedo shouldn't have jump with him. Well, Roma had 7-8 players with height 186-195, and we had only Pique and Busi who could jump.,
So, Roma had at least 5-6 tall players left unmarked. And that's what happened in the end...
= 1 goal scored directly due to our short players (3rd goal), and 1 goal indirectly (1st goal, Alba unable to clear the ball)
Juve:Roma 3:0
3:0 187cm tall Chiellini, scoring a header after a corner, outjumping 174cm tall Mascherano, who didn't even jump
Atletico:Barca 2:0
1:0 Griezmann, A HEADER after a cross, left alone with (short) Dani Alves who didn't even mark a player
2:0 a penalty
Atletico:Barca 1:0
1:0 A cross from the left side, Atletico's player outjumping our short Jordi Alba, and Koke scores after that.
So, indirectly we conceded again due to short players who can't handle crosses and headers
Bayern:Barca 4:0
1:0 188cm tall Dante outjumps 171 cm tall Dani Alves, and 186cm Muller scoring a header after that
2:0 186cm Muller outjumps 171cm tall Dani Alves, and sends the ball to Mario Gomez who is scoring a tap in
So, in our last 5 CL exits, in away games, these are the scores:
3:0
3:0
2:0
1:0
4:0
= total score: 13:0
Number of goals scored by Barca: 0
Number of goals scored by our opponents: 13
Number of goals Barca scored with headers: 0
Number of goals our opponents scored with headers due to height: 6
So, almost half of our goals conceded in KEY CL matches are=from corners or after crosses/headers.
And that is exactly what I am talking about:
Against Getafe, you don't need height=you will win due to technique alone.
Against Juve, Atletico, Bayern, in tight 50:50 matches, if you don't score, you will be killed after corners.
Now let's go back to Real and France:
= if they can create through shortpassing=awesome
= if not=they will score after corners and crosses
Can France and Real concede after corners?
= highly unlikely
If you are a younger fine, you probably still haven't noticed this patter.
On the other hand, if your team (Barca) has been ***** on physique, crosses, 1 vs 1 physical duels since your first final (1994 vs Milan), then you will be tired of reading posts how we should play with Arthur&Puig in a CL and have any mathematical chances to win it.
My opinion is that these flaws in our team were masked by Messi and he saved our asses for years.
And now, when he will be gone, we will have a good old Barca, which won 1 CL in 107 years without Messi, with our short, light and technical footballers.
Btw, as said above, my first CL final as Barca's fan, Milan:Barca 4:0 in 1994:
Milan's midfield and attack:
Desailly 185cm
Boban 183cm
Savicevic 182cm
Albertini 180cm
Massaro 179cm
Donadoni 173cm
Classical light Barca on the other hand:
Guardiola 180cm
Stoichkov 178cm
Amor 174cm
Begiristain 172cm
Bakero 169cm
Romario 167cm
When your skinny and light Guardiola is the tallest man in your team, you know that you will experience a lot of troubles in the next 90 minutes.
And of course, we barely touched the ball, losing almost every single attacking and defensive duel.
And this was NOT due to height.
This was because Milan had:
Technique 9/10
AND Physique 9/10
They had BOTH skills.
And we had:
Technique 10/10
Physique 4/10
And we were eaten alive, like 10s of times after that in the last 25-30 years:
THIS IS WHY I want SOME Rabiots in our team, and not a team full of Arthurs and Puigs.
