Corb
Special 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
One Jillion dollars.
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One Jillion dollars.
I'm reminded of Wayne Gretskys saying "you miss all the shots you don't take."
Neither team played all that well today, Milans parking of the bus was very reminiscent of Chelsea last season. But the difference was that they actually tried to score. When you take a long shot maybe you will get it right into the corner and score, maybe you'll get a deflection or maybe the keeper will fluff it. Same with a cross, get the ball in the box and anything can happen. Barca do a wonderful job of getting the ball into the final third. But at that point with a tight defense they're looking for perfection which has a small chance to succeed. They could have got in 20 or 30 crosses(high and low), take 10 or 20 shots from distance and they'd be more likely to score. That could cause the defense to open up a bit more and create more space because then there's a chance something would go right like it almost did from Iniesta that one time.
Of course look at Milan and that's exactly what happened in the first goal. It was too far to think that Valdes would be troubled from there, but they got lucky with the deflections and got a better chance to shoot. They got lucky, but they also made their own luck. Something Barca don't do and this is the principle reason they have such a mediocre record in European away games.
Oh and also, Champions League away game is a good idea to play a double pivot. They've got Song, use him and play more like Spain who are the best tournament team ever.
Neither team played all that well today, Milans parking of the bus was very reminiscent of Chelsea last season. But the difference was that they actually tried to score. When you take a long shot maybe you will get it right into the corner and score, maybe you'll get a deflection or maybe the keeper will fluff it. Same with a cross, get the ball in the box and anything can happen. Barca do a wonderful job of getting the ball into the final third. But at that point with a tight defense they're looking for perfection which has a small chance to succeed. They could have got in 20 or 30 crosses(high and low), take 10 or 20 shots from distance and they'd be more likely to score. That could cause the defense to open up a bit more and create more space because then there's a chance something would go right like it almost did from Iniesta that one time.
Of course look at Milan and that's exactly what happened in the first goal. It was too far to think that Valdes would be troubled from there, but they got lucky with the deflections and got a better chance to shoot. They got lucky, but they also made their own luck. Something Barca don't do and this is the principle reason they have such a mediocre record in European away games.
Oh and also, Champions League away game is a good idea to play a double pivot. They've got Song, use him and play more like Spain who are the best tournament team ever.
ViscaBarca914
BLASPHEMY!
Well things look quite bleak for Barca this season...if we don't go through then im throwing in my hat with the other FCB. I fancy one of the German teams to take the CL title this season.
xavi_the_Boss
New member
If Milan go through they will win the CL.Atleast that happend the last few years to the teams that threw us out of the competition
Banana-Rama
New member
First of all you must be confusing me with someone else, i have never boasted about the premier league being superior to bundesliga. I don't know how you can claim that i am constantly arguing a point that i have never made on any occasion, your just making stuff up to suit your argument. This is not a debate about which footballing philosophy is more admirable, i applaud germany's outstanding youth development/affordable ticket prices and great atmosphere in stadiums. I was simply making a point about the lack of genuine competition for bayern munich in bundesliga, as i said bayern's financial superiority over any other team in germany is overwhelming, the likes of frankfurt, freiburg and mainz will never have the resources or squad to compete with bayern, dortmund's achievement of back to back titles on a shoestring budget is extraordinary. Your kidding yourself if you think FFP will make much difference, Platini has not said a word about the excessive over spending at PSG, he's delighted that a french team finally have the resources to compete, he couldn't care less where the money came from. If you believe the rumours the investment in PSG only happened as Platini requested it in return for votes for Qatar to have the world cup, i wouldn't be relying on him to clean up football if i were you.
Waschdel
New member
Sorry, if I did confuse you with someone else. But to be honest I still don´t think that I did so. It is right that you´re not directly writing about the superiority of PL clubs compared to BL clubs. On the other hand you were arguing:
I am not buying into the hype about bayern just yet, they don't have much competition in the bundesliga, bayern's buying power and squad is miles above anyone else in the bundesliga, dortmund have managed to compete with them through excellent management and smart signings on the cheap. Leverkusen are a decent side but nothing special, take a look at the rest of the teams in the top ten in bundesliga, schalke, hannover, monchengladbach, hamburg, mainz 05, freiburg, frankfurt, just average clubs with no money to spend, proof of the pudding will be what bayern do in europe this season. I find it strange that people are writing off arsenal, wilshere-arteta-cazorla can compete in midfield with Bayern, the pace of walcott will be unlike anything the bayern defence has faced in bundesliga, podolski will feel he has something to prove also, they are more then capable of knocking out bayern.
Thinking that wilshere-arteta-cazorla are able to compete with Martinez-Schweinsteiger-Kroos is not only nonsense. It also shows that you´re thinking that the fifth ranked PL-club was a match for Bayern. A sentence like "the pace of Walcott will be unlike anything the Bayern defense has faced in the BL" underlines my argument. Walcott obviously had not faced a defender like Alaba who easily controlled him. Do you think that the fifth ranked BL-club (Freiburg atm) is a match for ManUtd.?
Surely not - and that is my point.
Btw - you must be confusing me with someone else talking about the FFP. I did not write a word about that and you´re probably right that it won´t change anything in the near future.
Banana-Rama
New member
I stand by all of those comments i made about bundesliga and bayern, i was not writing off bundesliga as not a good league, i was simply giving my honest opinion about the competitiveness of the league. I maintain that wilshere, arteta, cazorla are good enough to compete with bayern's midfield 3, the problem at arsenal is poor defensive coaching from the management, bayern's 3 goals came from very poor defending. Arsenal dominated the second half and would of pulled it back to 2-2 if giroud could finish, wilshere and cazorla are class and would not look out of place in bayern's midfield. The team that finished 6th in the prem last season beat bayern in the CL Final, could you imagine stuttgart doing that (last season's 6th place bundesliga team).
Waschdel
New member
Do you really think that Chelsea´s CL-run last year (including the final) is a good example for the competitivness of the PL? Last weeks match between Bayern and Arsenal did not really show what this years Bayern are able to. There was a lack of aggressivness after the second goal. Therefore Arsenal had more possession. But you saw another match than me saying that Arsenal dominated. Arguing on the basis of "ifs" (like if Giroud could finish) does not really help, because there are always some "ifs" in contradiction (if Mandzu´s header before halftime goes in or if that linesman would have seen that it wasn´t a corner before Poldis header).
Comparing the english, german or spanish league is interesting for fans like us but besides international matches there is no fundament to do so. Therefore we can discuss without an end whether Stuttgart might be able to beat ManUtd, which they are most certainly not. But IF
D) they have the luck Chelsea had.....
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MrXavi_The_Midfield_King
Member
They hardly dominated second half, Giroud and Wilshere had the only clear shots I would hardly call that dominatinng a half, trust me I was there standing behind the goal, Bayern were never in real problem in the first or second half, Bayerns midfield attacked and defended in a manner Arsenals midfield can only dream of and all bar Wilshere (would not improve it) would look out of place at Bayern as they would get dominated in midfield against every good team.
Banana-Rama
New member
you don't think cazorla is good enough for bayern? he's at least as good or better then shaqiri/muller...
I thought my first post was going to be the last one as well but I just can't keep myself from not replying. I knew my 'just lurking' days are over when I signed up for this. Anyway:
To the person asking, I can't remember who you are, I'm not German. I'm actually part Spanish, part Chinese. But I've never been to Spain nor to China. Ironic, isn't it?
Banana, I don't agree that Arsenal dominated the second half. Just because Arsenal had more possession than Bayern, it doesn't mean their midfield is better or even as good. I'm not underestimating Arsenal's midfield here. I think Wilshere was really good. I can't say much about Cazorla and Arteta though. I think they were a bit missing in the game.
Bayern plays a possession type of football just like Barca and Arsenal. Do you know why Bayern conceded just 8 league goals? It's not just because their defense is so good, it's not even because Manuel Neuer is a beast. The lack of goals against them was because they dominate possession, the opponent can't even get a sniff of a ball. There were times their opponent didn't even get a shot on target. That's how good their midfield is. Of course, Barca is still the best. (Sorry, I just have to say that. I love Bayern but Barca is Barca.)
Some might think that in the second half, Arsenal looks like they are dominating. The sad reality is, zie Germans conceded possession to Arsenal. This is not because the Arsenal's midfield is better than them. It's because Bayern is slowing down their game. This is why some people who understood football is raving about Bayern. They see Jupp's class there. Even without possession, Jupp just showed that his Bayern can still dictate the tempo and control the game. Arsenal still can't penetrate Bayern's defense. Bayern's midfield don't fight for possession then, they were actually shielding their back four and hoping to do fast counter attacks. Of course, like I said before, they got a bit arrogant and played poorly at some point, like in the Giroud attempt, but all in all, Bayern showed they are better than Arsenal.
It's actually a little scary, I think what Bayern showed in that game is more of a Dortmund tactic, not Bayern's. Pressing, fast counter attacks, defending like wall, it's one of the best strategies against possession football. Seeing Bayern employ that just makes me excited to see a Barca vs Bayern CL fixture.
To the person asking, I can't remember who you are, I'm not German. I'm actually part Spanish, part Chinese. But I've never been to Spain nor to China. Ironic, isn't it?
Banana, I don't agree that Arsenal dominated the second half. Just because Arsenal had more possession than Bayern, it doesn't mean their midfield is better or even as good. I'm not underestimating Arsenal's midfield here. I think Wilshere was really good. I can't say much about Cazorla and Arteta though. I think they were a bit missing in the game.
Bayern plays a possession type of football just like Barca and Arsenal. Do you know why Bayern conceded just 8 league goals? It's not just because their defense is so good, it's not even because Manuel Neuer is a beast. The lack of goals against them was because they dominate possession, the opponent can't even get a sniff of a ball. There were times their opponent didn't even get a shot on target. That's how good their midfield is. Of course, Barca is still the best. (Sorry, I just have to say that. I love Bayern but Barca is Barca.)
Some might think that in the second half, Arsenal looks like they are dominating. The sad reality is, zie Germans conceded possession to Arsenal. This is not because the Arsenal's midfield is better than them. It's because Bayern is slowing down their game. This is why some people who understood football is raving about Bayern. They see Jupp's class there. Even without possession, Jupp just showed that his Bayern can still dictate the tempo and control the game. Arsenal still can't penetrate Bayern's defense. Bayern's midfield don't fight for possession then, they were actually shielding their back four and hoping to do fast counter attacks. Of course, like I said before, they got a bit arrogant and played poorly at some point, like in the Giroud attempt, but all in all, Bayern showed they are better than Arsenal.
It's actually a little scary, I think what Bayern showed in that game is more of a Dortmund tactic, not Bayern's. Pressing, fast counter attacks, defending like wall, it's one of the best strategies against possession football. Seeing Bayern employ that just makes me excited to see a Barca vs Bayern CL fixture.
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Semi-Neutral
Sir Alupp Heynrguson
Guys, I am going to be playing FIFA so much, hoping my trashing Bayern and Milan multiple times will have the positive effect instead of jinxing it. So far I beat Bayern once with Arsenal, 5-1. Will be playing Milan-Barca soon, gonna go for a 3-0.
Waschdel
New member
Argh - some semi-neutral bad voodoo against Bayern
Anyway I really hope that you`ll put some positive affect on Barca. It can´t be true that they´ll get eliminated by milan. I would just love to see the two FCBs in the finals.
@banana: You seem to watch a lot of Bayern games. Otherways it would be pretty hard to compare an unconvential player like Thomas Müller with a player like Cazorla. Btw - did you know that he is ranked at Nr. 2 in scoring at the BL with 11 goals and 11 assists? Oppinions are a bit like haircuts. Most people have one and the majority prefers its own
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