CL Quarter Finals: Roma - Barca (4-4 agg.)

[Icarium]

Iniesta seems to be the one who is most affected by the result. He probably was ready to leave and wanted to make it memorable. Sad shit. Not the way I wanted him to leave. Fuck valverde.

 

[sickstar]

The reason wasnt the lack of quality. Its Motivation!! Nobody had motivation to play yesterday. They started to try when the match was already loss....

Maybe not empty motivation, but lack of fighting spirit, I presume due to tiredness also. Also perhaps, they have been instructed to focus on defense, and some couldn't quite cope with it.

I have just watched first half properly. Yesterday I couldn't watch more than 10 minutes of the game due to technical error and here's what I think.

1. Roma played high pressing, tight defending and long balls. Dzeko in particular has been outstanding in winning the air and outmuscle pique and Umtiti in many occasions. Schick, Nainggolan, De Rossi has been doing excellent in recovery and physical clashes, also making run and trying key passes. Every roma midfielder perform, actually, consistent pressing etc. And for Pique, he was still great at clearing and doing tackle at some occasions (hence Roma didn't score more than one goal in the first half), but really lacking it when in aerial duel or physical brawl with Dzeko (this man was the main danger last night, honestly). Why didn't Pique or Umtiti for this instance be like Fazio in the other side. Suarez had a "heavy" day being climbed in the back in numerous occasions. At least it would make him less active.

2. When we are defending we let Roma players did the movement. Like Rakitic in several moments just stand there between Roma players like anticipating for a break pass. He should concern more about players movement or covering pass line rather than stand still waiting for a break pass from Bob.. He's not Messi.

3. Messi has been below his average. Granted, not really having team mates to help in tiki take ing. Iniesta honestly doesn't have the stamina to play with him anymore, and the others, beside Alba and Suarez are not as quick as he wanted to be. And they're busy in their own post last night. Alba concentrate at the back and Suarez is lonely, shadowed by Fazio and co. Messi has a decent moment in the beginning though, his key pass to Roberto was wasted by the latter. And his freekicks have been off, strangely. Roma players making noise (refusing to step back) during freekick helped ruining his concentration too I think.

The point is, we let Roma played the way they wanted, and leaving us defending for aggregate. And it's also EV's fault for not bringing Dembele for Iniesta or Roberto earlier as it was only him that I can thought would be able to ruin Roma formation with his run, and able to do some forward play with Messi and Suarez.

 

[eaman]

I would try and keep iniesta around for another year. Great to have him on the bench or even play important games if he is sharp coz there's no one better. Rakitic can also stay but it's the bench for him and he can come in when we're a couple of goals up. I would definitely keep alba but get someone good enough to challenge him for his position

 

[serghei]

This stories with 'players are sad, silence in the plane, X or Y are the most upset'. This is fucking useless. Grow some balls FFS. Bunch of sissies.

 

[sickstar]

I would try and keep iniesta around for another year. Great to have him on the bench or even play important games if he is sharp coz there's no one better. Rakitic can also stay but it's the bench for him and he can come in when we're a couple of goals up. I would definitely keep alba but get someone good enough to challenge him for his position

The Iniesta of 3 or 4 years ago, no one could compare to him, not current Dembele or Coutinho, yet. Sadly, body has a limit, given his age, too many matches in one year finally take its toll. And looks like Messi is starting to feel it too. Heck, even Madrid is impacted by the number of games a season. Look at their la liga start. But in comparison, Madrid has a healthy number of younger stock of good players in their possession with players like Isco warming the bench, while we have the great.. Paulinho and Andre at most. Not counting Dembele and Coutinho.

 

[hellsangel1]

It’s sad that Barca have won just 1 champions league in the last 6 or 7 years. Even more so when you consider the fact that for the majority of those years, Barca had the most gifted/talented staring XI during those years. A lack of tactical flexibility, bad coaching decisions and at times lack of fighting spirit have exposed things. Messi and Barca should be disappointed about this when they look at the the end of this era with their results in Europe.

 

[SIOUX]

They aren't bad players per se (Alba is a real cunt though), but they need to be moved on for the sake of injecting new blood into this slow, unmotivated team. Addition by subtraction, but we have to make sure to get good replacements that suit our style.

Say what? Alba is one of the best LB´s in the world, and we are lucky to have him IMO. He´s a F´íng machine.

The team seemed tired and out of shape. Every single one was lazy last night.

 

[jairzinho]

Our recruitment decisions have also been terrible.

Not to make Gomes a scapegoat but guys like him and Vidal have added absolutely nothing to this team.

We need to make better decisions in the market.

This has been a wasted era with us not being able to surround Messi with the best possible players.

 

[FC B]

Yeah and without Busquets the match would have even been worse. The reason Valverde doesn't rotate is because our bench players are absolutely terrible(especially in midfield).

We tried to dominate possession but we couldn't because Roma pressed us man to man so we had to play long balls. He exactly said this in his press conference, Roma took risks and he expected our players to run behind their high line defence.

Roma pressed us, Real pressed us in the first half and Atletico pressed us in the second half and everytime we don't have the ball as our players are terrible under opponent's pressure.

The difference is that against Real and Atletico we defended well and against Roma we didn't.

That is exactly why I would've wanted Mierda or Bayern in the semis had we got past Roma.

 

[serghei]

That is exactly why I would've wanted Mierda or Bayern in the semis had we got past Roma.

Madrid would've beaten us in CL. Liverpool or Bayern have more chances of knocking them out. People make too much out of us matching well with Madrid.

 

[putogusiluz8]

Iniesta calling out the obvious at halftime. Even my amateur ass watching this on tv could have predicted we were going to lose, we were getting run over. How the fuck Valverde stood by and did nothing will forever be a mystery.

 

[Givenchy]

This stories with 'players are sad, silence in the plane, X or Y are the most upset'. This is fucking useless. Grow some balls FFS. Bunch of sissies.

their attitude was summed up yesterday when Roma bullied our CB's and midfield while the Barca players screamed for non-existent fouls over and over again.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

I ain't even mad... Roma whooped our ass and deserved to go through. We looked lazy. Oh well.

 

[Egert]

WTF was that yesterday? Like for real Roma dominated us and Valverde brings on freaking Andre Gomes on 80min? Get your shit together Ernesto.... Dembele was stretching for like 30mins out there as was seen on TV. And he literally waited for the 3-0 to bring him on. Should have brought on subs around 55-65min mark to score a goal while Roma were attacking with numbers. Dembele could have had so much space to run at. And who we had to do the job? Sergi Roberto.... Who is a great player and who I admire but let's be honest, he isn't the quickest and ain't the most talented attacking player to create some danger.
Conclusion:
VALVERDEOUT

 

[Devils]

The players are sad every year.

Last year they were crying on a bus, now they are crying on a plane. Over the next few days they'll probably post messages of strength and unity on their social media accounts.

Same shit every year. Rinse and repeat.

You'd have to be a fool to buy their bullshit these days.