Champions League

[messi2140]

25th consecutive away CL match for Suarez without a goal. 2160minutes scoreless, jesus.
That's 36 hours being fat on live TV.

This needs to be stickied in the Suarez thread.

 

[Tackle]

Who did the passing for some of those Neymar goals?Who did the passing for Messi's goals? This not even including Messi's dribbling and decision making in the final third.

You can't tell me with a straight face that Neymar was as good as Messi in that CL campaign. You just can't, unlessbyou have an agenda.

In terms of impact on the outcome of the ties they are comparable. If you want to argue Leo was at the centre of everything, creating, opening up space for Neymar and Suarez then you can rightfully make that argument. Of course Messi was the best player on the team. However, in the knockout stages Neymar had 7 goals in 7 matches and was always scoring critical goals, which is a very difficult task.

Scoring in these high stake matches is most difficult thing in football and Neymar made it look easy for a while. If not for him we could be here talking about how Messi played so well in the 1st leg, but how we somehow collapsed against Bayern, or how PSG knocked us out and Messi looked lively, but only had one assist.

 

[Birdy]

La Liga teams looked bad all CL. Real only got away with it because they always get help or get lucky but once they go up against the no nonsense teams they?ll be exposed.

This!
Totally agree with the following tweet I just read:

"
GuillemBalague
?
55m
The are 3 speeds in football. The collective (ball moved around quickly -say, City), the individual (you born quick -Sterling) and the gestural (movement on the pitch and quick reaction, helped by intelligence too -think of Xavi)

English teams beat Spanish teams in all of them
"

Now wait for the LaLiga zealots and old-calendarists to start trying to prove that LaLiga is the best league in the world

 

[El Gato]

Because they're top of the league and got dominated by an average Chelsea side.

Always a curious take.

Can't wait for the quotes of how embarrassing you thought it was for Liverpool to lose to this team last year.

 

[DonAK]

Because they're top of the league and got dominated by an average Chelsea side.

They're top of the league because of a historically bad Barcelona and Real Madrid side and they're still likely to choke it in the end. La Liga is very weak right now at the top.

 

[JamDav1982]

They're top of the league because of a historically bad Barcelona and Real Madrid side and they're still likely to choke it in the end. La Liga is very weak right now at the top.

La Liga is even weaker below the top teams in comparison to likes of EPL.

There is barely any teams/players worth watching or that will be chased by the bigger sides from outside the CL places.

Still get some folk that try to make out La Liga is technical and likes of EPL isnt when in reality the EPL teams are far ahead on technique now right across the league.

 

[KingLeo10]

This!
Totally agree with the following tweet I just read:

"
GuillemBalague
?
55m
The are 3 speeds in football. The collective (ball moved around quickly -say, City), the individual (you born quick -Sterling) and the gestural (movement on the pitch and quick reaction, helped by intelligence too -think of Xavi)

English teams beat Spanish teams in all of them
"

Now wait for the LaLiga zealots and old-calendarists to start trying to prove that LaLiga is the best league in the world

It is quite bizarre how every 3rd post you try to remind people on a Barca forum that EPL is the best league in the world. It is at the moment but why the cartwheeling? Before you don the mask of "objectivity", I wonder if you were this way towards fans of other leagues when LL was in fact the best in the world (2008-2017). Happy to be proven wrong if this is indeed the case.

 

[DonAK]

La Liga is even weaker below the top teams in comparison to likes of EPL.

There is barely any teams/players worth watching or that will be chased by the bigger sides from outside the CL places.

Still get some folk that try to make out La Liga is technical and likes of EPL isnt when in reality the EPL teams are far ahead on technique now right across the league.

The influx of top managers have really helped out the EPL the last 5-7 years.

 

[JamDav1982]

The influx of top managers have really helped out the EPL the last 5-7 years.

The top coaches by and large want to be there. That and the money while teams are also producing very good players through youth systems.

The EPL now is more or less hoovering up most players from abroad that have a good season and can afford to take the risk and for them to fail.

The depth of top, technical, physical, pacey players in the EPL is far ahead than any others and just going to get worse as the money will only grow and become more and more the favoured destination of players.

 

[DonAK]

The top coaches by and large want to be there. That and the money while teams are also producing very good players through youth systems.

The EPL now is more or less hoovering up most players from abroad that have a good season and can afford to take the risk and for them to fail.

The depth of top, technical, physical, pacey players in the EPL is far ahead than any others and just going to get worse as the money will only grow and become more and more the favoured destination of players.

Might get tough for them to attract young talent from other countries due to Brexit though. Might have to focus mostly on their local talent.

 

[JamDav1982]

Might get tough for them to attract young talent from other countries due to Brexit though. Might have to focus mostly on their local talent.

They will find a way round it and even then the vast majority of young players signed as a wonderkid at 16 dont make it anyway.

It is the local/british talent that are coming through far more than players signed at 16 from abroad.

 

[Birdy]

It is quite bizarre how every 3rd post you try to remind people on a Barca forum that EPL is the best league in the world. It is at the moment but why the cartwheeling? Before you don the mask of "objectivity", I wonder if you were this way towards fans of other leagues when LL was in fact the best in the world (2008-2017). Happy to be proven wrong if this is indeed the case.

So now this is an issue of not respecting the feelings of 'fans of other leagues'? LOL

Yes, I was exactly like that when LL was at its heyday, which IMO did not last until 2017.
In any case I care about truths, and not catering to anyone's feelings.
That's why I don't give a damn when I disappoint Messi fanboys here.
Not my cup of tea

 

[messi2140]

So now this is an issue of not respecting the feelings of 'fans of other leagues'? LOL

Yes, I was exactly like that when LL was at its heyday, which IMO did not last until 2017.
In any case I care about truths, and not catering to anyone's feelings.
That's why I don't give a damn when I disappoint Messi fanboys here.
Not my cup of tea

When did it end then for you ?

 

[DonAK]

They will find a way round it and even then the vast majority of young players signed as a wonderkid at 16 dont make it anyway.

It is the local/british talent that are coming through far more than players signed at 16 from abroad.

Let's see how long it lasts. It's all natural and cyclical. If the EPL keep running away with the best managers and talent in the coming years a European Super League might become a reality.

Doubt other top European teams will stand pat.

 

[Joan]

We need a room for all of the forum's PL fanboys.

There's noone else arguing with them, anyways.