CL | 1/8 Final: FC Barcelona - SSC Napoli 4-2 (agg.)

[BusiTheKing]

About Rakitic: Emery, Lucho, EV, Setien.

Setien has actually won a few coins in my eyes tonight.

Playing 442 is a nice option in Europe, when we compare it with our horrible away record since 2000.

At home: we should play like Barca.
Away: we should try something else.
EV's version of something else failed. Maybe Setien's version will be better.

But anything different than a too attacking and too naive 433 is a step forward, imo.

We play better when we play at home. Why do you think that is? Is there something inherently different about the grass on Camp Nou? No, we play better because we play like Barca, with confidence.

We play badly away because we play without confidence. Thinking defensively, inviting the pressure on. Allowing the opponent up our field without pushing back

 

[BusiTheKing]

Rakitic literally falls down in every duel. He's terrible physically. Players breeze past him with ease.

 

[Givenchy]

Raki wasnt so bad last game but the combo Raki-Busi will fuck us tonight. expecting a 2-1 loss

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Rakitic.. Why the ****? Same mistake Vs Liverpool. I was excited for the match before seeing Rakitic start. I can't believe it.

 

[BusiTheKing]

Raki wasnt so bad last game but the combo Raki-Busi will fuck us tonight. expecting a 2-1 loss

We played Eibar and wasn't pressed at all. He still couldn't do anythng but pass it backwards. Backpass and jog around like his job is done. No responsibility, no guts.

 

[Neymessi]

About Rakitic: Emery, Lucho, EV, Setien.

Setien has actually won a few coins in my eyes tonight.

 

[serghei]

I think Setien got nervous before his first CL game and called Valverde to ask for his advice. Valverde said something in the line of: 'Quique, amigo, 4-4-2 and Raki-Busi, there's no other way'.

 

[Neeraj]

Also, if we are in trouble for the love of god, use subs fast. Don't wait until min 75 if you see us in trouble like EV did.

To be fair to Setien, so far it seems he has done that, at least a lot better than EV. He's not as ruthless as Zidane who makes the change in the halftime break, but he's often making changes in the late 50's. Let's hope he keeps it up.

 

[Hamzah]

Busquets is arguably a bigger issue than Rakitic in these games. Rakitic at least has SOME left in the tank physically

 

[BusiTheKing]

I seriously am lost for words. If he was good at all defensively, I would get it, but he's just not. He takes up no space, can't accelerate to stop someone going past him, imposes no physical threat.

 

[serghei]

Has to be said, leaving aside the jokes, this is a very disappointing and questionable decision from Setien. I hope for his sake Rakitic doesn't have a shocker.

 

[Devils]

4-4-2 isn't a problem

4-4-2 with rakitic+busi is a huge problem.

both are press vulnerable players. Arthur is quite good at resisting the press. Napoli WILL press.

Stupid ass decisions.

 

[Calidad]

It’s 2020 and we have a MF of Busquets, Vidal, Rakitic. What a joke.

 

[Neeraj]

Busquets is arguably a bigger issue than Rakitic in these games. Rakitic at least has SOME left in the tank physically

While busquets does indeed have more high profile screw ups, he's still the only one who still attempts lime breaking passes and through balls. Problem is, of late, he has got very slow and untidy in possession, but between him and Rakitic, well Rakitic never does anything but a backpass and still has monumental screw ups, with everyone breezing past him.

This is like choosing between terrible and even more terrible, so it's not a great position to be in, and a pity that we have both of these starting in 2020.

 

[KingLeo10]

I might actually skip watching games from here on until we appoint a manager with a semblance of a backbone.

Don't care about the results but please don't be dense to repeat the same mistake 5th time running. In a competition where a mistake costs elimination.

Just so so poor.