Luis Enrique

[StarLord]

Chelsea game was just bad luck, that whole month made me sick to my stomach.
Fucking Valdes coming out for no reason with both the Ramires goal and Ronaldo's. No way both would have scored had he stayed on his line rather than be stuck in no mans land by being too late.
Ow well, all in the past now, a treble would wash away all the unlucky/bad cl results and last years liga failure.

The Chelsea game was rotten luck for sure. Chelsea scored 3 goals in the tie, exactly as many times as they made it past their own half with one or two players. But we could have still sent them easily packing if Alexis/Pedro/Busquets/Cesc could hit the barn door. Put Suarez and Nerman there, and we almost certainly would have won both legs.

As for Valdes in those games: He was also at fault for the Drogba goal, as were Puyol and Mascherano. I still cannot fathom how we lost that tie.

 

[StarLord]

The chances of all three not scoring is not almost zero though.

Why you only counting home games?

When did they fail to score in any other game? I do not remember. My point was that, if chances fall to them, then the chances of at least one of them scoring are extrmely high. "Almost zero" was a bit OTT, but I thought that my point was clear anyway. In the Malaga home game, we did not create almost any chances of note. Against City and Celta we had a dozen of excellent chances in each game but mysteriously, MSN did not score. If you re-watch the highlights you will see how crazy it all was.

 

[JamDav1982]

The Chelsea game was rotten luck for sure. Chelsea scored 3 goals in the tie, exactly as many times as they made it past their own half with one or two players. But we could have still sent them easily packing if Alexis/Pedro/Busquets/Cesc could hit the barn door. Put Suarez and Nerman there, and we almost certainly would have won both legs.

As for Valdes in those games: He was also at fault for the Drogba goal, as were Puyol and Mascherano. I still cannot fathom how we lost that tie.

Messi also missed a pen in the second match.

If Messi can miss chances in that tie for Barca to go out then so can Neymar and Suarez.

Its not even close to as being as simple as MSN will always score and the moment anyone in the team or club believe that will be a bad time.

 

[JamDav1982]

When did they fail to score in any other game? I do not remember. My point was that, if chances fall to them, then the chances of at least one of them scoring are extrmely high. "Almost zero" was a bit OTT, but I thought that my point was clear anyway. In the Malaga home game, we did not create almost any chances of note. Against City and Celta we had a dozen of excellent chances in each game but mysteriously, MSN did not score. If you re-watch the highlights you will see how crazy it all was.

Celta away, although goal was wrongly chopped off by ref.

Valencia away.

But for a penalty won by Busquets.. Atletico at home in Copa.

 

[ceefoo]

Both Suarez AND Neymar have missed some absolute sitters this season. I'm not caning them for it, but I just goes to show that nothing is certain.

 

[JamDav1982]

Both Suarez AND Neymar have missed some absolute sitters this season. I'm not caning them for it, but I just goes to show that nothing is certain.

All three have, was there not a stat that Messi has missed more clear cut chances than anyone in La Liga.

Not trying to focus on Messi but show that these guys are human and will miss chances.

 

[ceefoo]

All three have, was there not a stat that Messi has missed more clear cut chances than anyone in La Liga.

Not trying to focus on Messi but show that these guys are human and will miss chances.

That's right. Remember Messi's open-goal missed header against Citeh following his missed penalty?

 

[StarLord]

Messi also missed a pen in the second match.

If Messi can miss chances in that tie for Barca to go out then so can Neymar and Suarez.

Its not even close to as being as simple as MSN will always score and the moment anyone in the team or club believe that will be a bad time.

Of course it's any number of factors (Lucho's new tactics, Messi on the right, more defense by the midfield, better at set-pieces, no serious injuries, our two very good goalkeepers, better stamina etc etc etc) but the most tangible, obvious and clear one is the existence of MSN. Sure they can miss sitters as well, but in the final analysis they can score more than any other attacking trident we have ever had (more than any other trident there ever was) they can also create much more, even without the benefit of prime of Xavi-Iniesta-Alves.

The reason many of us do not appreciate them as much as they deserve (not that we do not appreciate them of course, but not as much as they are worth I believe) is that we take them for granted. We have been taking Messi for granted for many years now, and I feel that we are committing a similar mistake with the other two as well. Just ask (or get into the boots of) fans of other major clubs in Europe and see how jealous they are of our unparalleled forward line. Imagine the headache of opposition defenders and managers when they know that they are up against MSN! They are literally shitting their pants.

 

[footyfan]

Allow me to disagree.

Messi has been the world's best player (with magnificent performances all around) for many years now, yet this is the first time we achieve such great results. Not even in the most glorious of Pep's days (08/09 and 10/11) have we performed so successfully in big games. We also had some excellent defensive seasons as well (09/10 and 10/11) still we have never been more efficient than this season in killing off the opposition, and especially top-level opposition.

Our eliminations against Inter and Chelsea in 2010 and 2012 were to a great degree down to the relatively poor attacking options available outside of Messi back then. Opposing teams (especially of the "bus-parking" variety) knew that they had to shut down Messi at all cost, and take a relative risk with the rest of our forward players (Ibra, Pedro, Henry, Bojan, Alexis, Cesc and Alexis)

I can assure you that if we had Neymar and Suarez against Chelsea in the Stamford Bridge in 2012, the Blues were getting monkey-hammered that night. All our chances dropped to non-Messi players, and they all blew them. Nerman and Suarezito would have put Chelsea to the sword many times before Drogba got his first (and last) sniff at the ball in the injury time of the first half.

I can't quite figure out what you're disagreeing with.

 

[blaugrana1987]

Anyone noticed butterflies between Lucho and Xavi last few training sessions? All smiles and hugs, seems like they are getting really well along.

 

[mssarm]

Anyone noticed butterflies between Lucho and Xavi last few training sessions? All smiles and hugs, seems like they are getting really well along.

I think they always had great relationship.Xavi admitted that he stayed because Lucho asked him. Lucho is the only one is still allowed to call Xavi Pelopo.

 

[StarLord]

I can't quite figure out what you're disagreeing with.

I am disagreeing with this:

After Messi, Lucho is the most responsible for this season's success. Then come Neymar and Suarez.

You seem to be claiming that Suarez and Neymar were the 3rd factor behind our success this season. I am claiming that they were the number one factor.

 

[Kohe321]

[tw]599738632010919937[/tw]

 

[Barcaman]

Good to hear

Press won't like it though. No controversy - no profit.

 

[Ustari]

Thank you Luis Enrique