CL: Ajax - FC Barcelona 0-2

[Flavia]

You mean Mascherano in for Alves/Montoya, and Raktic-Biscuits in midfield?

Yes.

 

[Schumi]

Yes.

OK.

I think that that formation should be at least given a few tries if not anything else. It's not as if we are preordained to play 4-3-3 no matter what.

 

[Flavia]

OK.

I think that that formation should be at least given a few tries if not anything else. It's not as if we are preordained to play 4-3-3 no matter what.

I agree. It's a way to bench Alves. Pedro's crosses are better, anyway.

 

[Ursegor]

Xavi: "In the second half against Ajax, we saw one of the best Barças of this season."

So true.

 

[DonAK]

Hopefully Luis Enrique saw the same.

 

[beogatts]

i think its just the fault of the whole barca organization for not seeing that our mf got older n never thought of buying more mf who can make passes and chances. we bought only 1 new mf

 

[Heisenberg is cooking]

1. Which Mourinho team had bad players? And if you are here insinuating that Mourinho always adds to his teams then you are sadly mistaken. He may have won with Porto and Inter and yada yada yada, but he also failed consistently with super-rich clubs such as Real Madrid and Chelsea. Let me repeat: CONSISTENTLY FAILED!

2. You also say that most of our players are pretty average, which is in my opinion very harsh (even though I tend to be a tough critic myself) The players you have listed there are not world class, or in the case of Xavi and Alves, not world-class anymore. On that I would agree. But to hint that they are just some average players is pushing it a lot. And even if you are right, and we have so many weak players, then how can anyone blame Lucho? But then you go on to say that we are a potentially "decent" team which has been made "pretty weak"! You then list three teams you claim are better than us at the moment. So by your account, we are the 4th best team on the planet, even with all those not-good-enough players and a rubbish manager to boot. WOW! That is some spin on the genuine meanings of words like "decent" and "pretty weak". If being the 4th best team on the planet is "pretty weak", then how would you describe the rest of the teams on the continent? What terminology in the English language would be fairly descriptive of those teams. I am really interested in finding out.

3. I will again accept your argument that those three clubs are currently better than us. But I would still like to know by what margin are they better than us and how many goals can we expect to shift against those teams when we have to face them?

4. An argument about Real Madrid being better than us can certainly be logically grounded. Bayern could fit the description as well, but I wouldn't be so certain of it. Things can change quite rapidly in football. As for Chelsea, well, one has to wonder what they might have done to be considered better than us. I would be quite elevated and genuinely enlightened if someone could justify how Chelsea can be considered as a better football side than FC Barcelona.

I once again get the impression that you are only interesting in winning the debate instead of find some common ground. I have no problem with a portion of will to power when it comes to arguments, we all do it, but its pretty tiresome after a while. In the end people arent discussing the topic at hand anymore. As far as I can see that is the problem with point number one:

1. You by some reason start to stress the mourinho case. Thats very fine, we can for sure discuss that some time, but in the end its pretty irrelevant regarding my main thesis: Managers differ in quality and some people manage to get much out of bad players(or decent if you insist). In my opinion thats a fact. I can of course mention some god managers, for example pep guardiola. He is better than enrique, therefore barca would be a better team with him as the main man.
Why so interested in mourinho? it dosent matter. I can pick 10000 of other examples. I mean, in norway in the 90's we had a team named rosenborg, the players wasnt very good compared to the opposition, but as a collective they were magic. Why: They had a genius for manager. They beat real madrid, milan away, they beat dortmund 3-0 away. They were brilliant with inferior players - all due to organization. And there are thousends of examples of this in football history. Good managers matters. You havent even touch upon my main point and then celebrate like you won the superbowl or something: "not consistent".
Your argument dosent add up, and that isnt even the question at hand. I think its far to generalize upon certain mistakes enrique has done so far. Thats a discussion right there. Maybe I am right maybe I am wrong. You on the other hand, seems very obsessed by pointing out mistakes. I dont mind being corrected at minor points - when its legitimate(I dont think you have sound arguments in this case), but if thats the whole thing then we should really start all over again. Or be more precise and fair next time.

I can go on and address the specifics of your other points, I dont think they hold up, but I cant see the point. I close my the shop here.