Luis Enrique

[zanela]

Did you predict the Barca performance before the game?
Seems like a foregone conclusion the way you describe it.

May be not the way how it all played out. But I was convinced of a Barca win, yes.

 

[JamDav1982]

May be not the way how it all played out. But I was convinced of a Barca win, yes.

Did you predict it on here?

Also you say that a tough game like Atletico was 'perfect platform' as if this was the best game possible as it was a tough one.... yet only days earlier the players put in one of the best perfomances of the season against Elche and played just as well.

In short the performances has gone up a notch regardless of opponents.

 

[Hamzah]

And your prerogative is to underrate Barça's performance? Because Atlético won against rm. You are ignoring the confidence boost that gives. They had a good cushion for the next game, and the liga is their primary objective, not the cdr. That's why simeone rested half of his team against rm.

I don't know what made the players perform, but if recent history is taken into account, whenever too much pressure and uncertainty were present, they failed.

Who is underrating Barca performance? As I've said a couple times already, the next game will be tougher than this one. This is because atletico are coming off an easier game, less tired and will be more mentally ready for the game.

Also, the confidence boost vs rm is bs and irrelevant. Atletico are already confident.

 

[Flavia]

One, starting a player on the bench in a high-pressure game doesn't amount to "resting". Two, the factors in contention may or may not 've played a part, but I choose not to ignore in this instance as I saw physical evidence in this effect. Three, that doesn't, however, mean I'm underrating my team's performance. It's one thing to identify a weakness, and another to exploit it. That deserves credit, and Barca deserves credit. Four, with much uncertainity and an ultimatum in the Barca camp, playing a big team at home was basically the perfect platform to quell the detractors.

Many factors we have absolutely no knowledge of take part in every single game. But I saw nothing of the physichal evidence you claim. It's, as Sumlit said, pure speculation from your part.
What I saw was atletico getting owned by Barça, and not because they were "tired". And because they know they were owned, they will want blood next game.

 

[Flavia]

Who is underrating Barca performance? As I've said a couple times already, the next game will be tougher than this one. This is because atletico are coming off an easier game, less tired and will be more mentally ready for the game.

Also, the confidence boost vs rm is bs and irrelevant. Atletico are already confident.

If that's so, the "mentally tiredness" excuse is equally bs and irrelevant.

 

[Hamzah]

If that's so, the "mentally tiredness" excuse is equally bs and irrelevant.

How? Three big games in one week takes it out of you no matter who you are. Not only had they finished a tough game against real, they knew they'd play the second leg after. That affects your peformance.

Now they are fresh off a game against the bottom team in the liga and don't have as tough a game afterwards. The focus is 100% on us. Simeone will also have a new plan for us and his full team will play. I still think we will win but it will be harder is all I'm saying.

 

[JamDav1982]

How? Three big games in one week takes it out of you no matter who you are. Not only had they finished a tough game against real, they knew they'd play the second leg after. That affects your peformance.

Now they are fresh off a game against the bottom team in the liga and don't have as tough a game afterwards. The focus is 100% on us. Simeone will also have a new plan for us and his full team will play. I still think we will win but it will be harder is all I'm saying.

Not all the Atletico players played both games and anyway the huge press speculation on Barca that week can be draining as well.

Atletico rested players for the Barca game.

 

[zanela]

Did you predict it on here?

Also you say that a tough game like Atletico was 'perfect platform' as if this was the best game possible as it was a tough one.... yet only days earlier the players put in one of the best perfomances of the season against Elche and played just as well.

Not on here.

Bigger the opponent = bigger the statement.

--------

Anyway, I've said my piece on the matter. People can disagree if they like. I'm not interested in continuing to assert an opinion, like some do. Not knowing when to let go.

 

[Hamzah]

Not all the Atletico players played both games and anyway the huge press speculation on Barca that week can be draining as well.

Atletico rested players for the Barca game.

Barca has nothing to do with my argument. The fact is that atletico will be better equipped this time than last time because of what I just mentioned.

They may have rested players but most of their defence plus gabi played both games. Those are the players that are actually defending and running and having to focus for 90 minutes. Infact gabi and game bith came off early I think which tells a lot. They will play the full 90 if they start this time.

 

[Flavia]

How? Three big games in one week takes it out of you no matter who you are. Not only had they finished a tough game against real, they knew they'd play the second leg after. That affects your peformance.

Now they are fresh off a game against the bottom team in the liga and don't have as tough a game afterwards. The focus is 100% on us. Simeone will also have a new plan for us and his full team will play. I still think we will win but it will be harder is all I'm saying.

How? Confidence is also mental. If their confidence can't be affected by a huge win, then they are immune to anything.

Their focus on Barça in the league was also 100%. Or simeone wouldn't have rested so many players. This is just the cdr, the lesser title no one really cares about. They care now because they want to erase the huge defeat they suffered. Or this is the speech, at least. I also don't think Barça's performance will be as good, because it's the cdr.

 

[JamDav1982]

Barca has nothing to do with my argument. The fact is that atletico will be better equipped this time than last time because of what I just mentioned.

They may have rested players but most of their defence plus gabi played both games. Those are the players that are actually defending and running and having to focus for 90 minutes. Infact gabi and game bith came off early I think which tells a lot. They will play the full 90 if they start this time.

What you mentioned isnt accurate.

Why did they draw the third of the three games away to Real with a weaker and more tired team?

Surely by then if all you said is correct then they would have had no chance.

 

[DonAndres]

You can all speculate as to why Atleti happened to suck that day but the fact remains is that it was not their most capable performance, not even close. There's no taking credit from the way Barca played because it obviously took them by surprise and worked. However, that doesn't mean that this Atleti side was fully prepared and at the highest level on the day yet still unable to slow us down. We're not that "unstoppable".

Atletico are fully capable of playing sides with vertical/quicker attacks, their successes against RM in the past 3 seasons bear proof of that. Yet when we played them at the Camp Nou they weren't set up to do so and their individuals were not performing at an adequate level. I'd expect Simeone to not make the same mistakes again and anticipate our new system this week, which will likely make this game more difficult. Even if they can't stop us outright, their defense will probably be much harder to break down. You can argue with Bertus/zanela/Hamzah all you want but would you honestly disagree that it'd be more difficult to pummel Atletico again this time around?

 

[Hamzah]

I think you guys are misunderstanding me, I'm just explaining why they will probably play better this time. I'm not trying to make excuses for them and saying that's why they lost. I'll answer your points anyway though.

Flavia, if they are already a confident team then beating real which they already do all the time won't even affect them, they just carry on as normal. But mental fatigue will affect you no matter how good or confident a side you are. You're right that the focus on Barca, but playing Real Madrid twice aswell in that week is still going to have an effect. That's not there this time.

Jamdav. Atletico actually played badly in that game compared to their usual level. They were lucky that torres got his goals at the start of each half and killed momentum for real.

 

[JamDav1982]

You can all speculate as to why Atleti happened to suck that day but the fact remains is that it was not their most capable performance, not even close. There's no taking credit from the way Barca played because it obviously took them by surprise and worked. However, that doesn't mean that this Atleti side was fully prepared and at the highest level on the day yet still unable to slow us down. We're not that "unstoppable".

Atletico are fully capable of playing sides with vertical/quicker attacks, their successes against RM in the past 3 seasons bear proof of that. Yet when we played them at the Camp Nou they weren't set up to do so and their individuals were not performing at an adequate level. I'd expect Simeone to not make the same mistakes again and anticipate our new system this week, which will likely make this game more difficult. Even if they can't stop us outright, their defense will probably be much harder to break down. You can argue with Bertus/zanela/Hamzah all you want but would you honestly disagree that it'd be more difficult to pummel Atletico again this time around?

Barca won the tactical battle and won the physical battle. Will that change this time who knows.

But Barca forced those things to happen in last game it wasnt down to Atletico being 'tired, distracted'. They were out fought and out thought. Simple as that.

 

[DinhoR10]

Did some of you even watch the match? The first phase of the game was all atleti they were playing like usual everyone on the chat (including myself) were laughing at how predictable it was then Barca got the game under control through the work of the midfield and proceeded to thrash them convincingly. Simeone tried changing all he could to combat it but there was simply no stopping it, by the time the first goal went in the game had that feeling of inevitability that Barca were going to win no matter what. Lucho's tactics of smart movement from the players completely destroyed the central pillar of pressing in simeone's tactics. They weren't tired or nervous or anything, we were simply just the better team and atleast on that day had the better coach.


@ me calling Luchl the better coach.