Memphis Depay

[BBZ8800]

Dirty-warrior-era of football? No offence mate but the majority of footballers go to ground rolling and screaming at the slightest contact. Some refs don't put up with that, but some do bit like in the CL final where the ref was blowing up for a foul every 10 seconds.
The dirty era of football was in the 70's and 80's where you had midfielders like Graeme Souness who would kick you all over the park all game.

I am talking about CL level and World cup level.
Till 2002, out of 17 world cups, South American teams won 9 titles.
South American teams usually play nicer, more technical football than let's say Italy or Germany.

Since 2002, all Europeans won World cups.
Around 2008-2012, Spain dominated on an international level and Barca dominated on a club level with the same type of technical TikiTaka football.
Around 2012, both Spain, Barca and Pep without Barca stopped producing results on the biggest stage.

Since then, all WC and CL winners were more athletic, faster, aggressive and more combative teams than let's say Brasil from 90s, or Spain/Barca from 2008-2012.
In that sense, Brasilian football dominated in the 20th century, Barca's football dominated from 2008-2012, but after that, a football moved to German/French type of direct, fast, results oriented football.

Also, when Brasil dominated, they weren't dominating with thugs or guys with mental strength.
They dominated with pure skills of Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho.
In the last 10 years, pure technical skills are not enough anymore.
Today you can win on WCs and in CLs ONLY if you pair Brasilian technical skills with athelticism, some fighting mentality and mental strength.
Days of 11 Iniestas/David Silvas winning big tournaments are forever gone, imo.

In that sense, imo, we can't build a team around 11 good too nice La Masia guys like Puig and Fati.
We need more athleticism, but also mental strength and some warrior spirit.

Remember Rome, Anfield or Lisabon.
Our team is 0:1 or 0:2 down, and all players are dead scared.
Nobody is yelling, nobody is making fouls, nobody is arguing with refs, teammates or opponents.
They are all just walking around, sulking and crying in the locker room during halftime.

If you play against Liverpool or Bayern, and they are playing dirty, fouling you, using dirty tricks, influencing the ref and similar.
Would you rather have a nice guy Busi, and Puig around him or 1-2 guys like Van Bommel?
With Van Bommel, you can't lose 2:8. And if you are losing, you won't lose without giving a fight, a few kicks to opponent, some yelling, yellow cards and similar.
If you lose, you will at least know that you tried.
Can you say: oh, at least we tried after nights in Rome, Anfield or Lisabon?
No. Those guys didn't even try more or less. When we concede for 0:1 and 0:2, they sulk, defend around the box, don't yell, don't talk, don't fight.

In that sense, this is the era where technique alone is not enough anymore.
Today you need technique+athleticism+a fighting spirit for tough moments+mental strength.

For example, Van Bommel played one season for Barca, transformed us from pussies into winners.
Won a CL and La Liga and moved away.
And right after he left, we lost 2 La Ligas and got bullied in a CL by English teams.

Btw, Rijkaard lost to English/UK teams:
1. Celtic in 2003/04 Uefa Cup
2. Mou's Chelsea 2004/05
3. Liverpool 2006/07
4. Man Utd 2007/08

He lost every single tie against English teams.
Except in 2006, when we had Van Bommel.
We KOd Mou's Chelsea in 1/8 and won against Arsenal in a final.

Could be a coincidence.
Or he could be just a type of player to use against dirty and athletic English teams.

And one of my favorite videos:

 

[Riordon]

Looks like the Koeman lineup will be:

Semedo-Pique-Lenglet-Alba
De Jong-Pjanic
Wijnaldum
Griezmann-Messi-Depay

Looks great and much improved from last year. Would have preferred Messi left so we could play like a team again. Our play and tactical structure will look weird at times, that is not the fault of Koeman but due to Messi not following any instructions. I can see us going for Dumfries in couple of weeks and possibly Soyuncu.

 

[Nello]

Also, quite unbelievable technical abilities. Some dribbles he pulls off are only second to Neymar currently.

Now suddenly Messi isn't as good a dribbler as depay aswell? Jeez

 

[serghei]

I don't mind him, but my first feeling is we are getting the wrong 2, I would rather have Aouar then him or Der Beek then Wijnaldum. Hope I'm wrong at the end.

Those are totally different prices imo. Aouar will be expensive.

 

[vuji_31]

Griezmann on the wing again? No thanks

 

[Andrew M]

I am talking about CL level and World cup level.
Till 2002, out of 17 world cups, South American teams won 9 titles.
South American teams usually play nicer, more technical football than let's say Italy or Germany.

Since 2002, all Europeans won World cups.
Around 2008-2012, Spain dominated on an international level and Barca dominated on a club level with the same type of technical TikiTaka football.
Around 2012, both Spain, Barca and Pep without Barca stopped producing results on the biggest stage.

Since then, all WC and CL winners were more athletic, faster, aggressive and more combative teams than let's say Brasil from 90s, or Spain/Barca from 2008-2012.
In that sense, Brasilian football dominated in the 20th century, Barca's football dominated from 2008-2012, but after that, a football moved to German/French type of direct, fast, results oriented football.

Also, when Brasil dominated, they weren't dominating with thugs or guys with mental strength.
They dominated with pure skills of Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho.
In the last 10 years, pure technical skills are not enough anymore.
Today you can win on WCs and in CLs ONLY if you pair Brasilian technical skills with athelticism, some fighting mentality and mental strength.
Days of 11 Iniestas/David Silvas winning big tournaments are forever gone, imo.

In that sense, imo, we can't build a team around 11 good too nice La Masia guys like Puig and Fati.
We need more athleticism, but also mental strength and some warrior spirit.

Remember Rome, Anfield or Lisabon.
Our team is 0:1 or 0:2 down, and all players are dead scared.
Nobody is yelling, nobody is making fouls, nobody is arguing with refs, teammates or opponents.
They are all just walking around, sulking and crying in the locker room during halftime.

If you play against Liverpool or Bayern, and they are playing dirty, fouling you, using dirty tricks, influencing the ref and similar.
Would you rather have a nice guy Busi, and Puig around him or 1-2 guys like Van Bommel?
With Van Bommel, you can't lose 2:8. And if you are losing, you won't lose without giving a fight, a few kicks to opponent, some yelling, yellow cards and similar.
If you lose, you will at least know that you tried.
Can you say: oh, at least we tried after nights in Rome, Anfield or Lisabon?
No. Those guys didn't even try more or less. When we concede for 0:1 and 0:2, they sulk, defend around the box, don't yell, don't talk, don't fight.

In that sense, this is the era where technique alone is not enough anymore.
Today you need technique+athleticism+a fighting spirit for tough moments+mental strength.

For example, Van Bommel played one season for Barca, transformed us from pussies into winners.
Won a CL and La Liga and moved away.
And right after he left, we lost 2 La Ligas and got bullied in a CL by English teams.

Btw, Rijkaard lost to English/UK teams:
1. Celtic in 2003/04 Uefa Cup
2. Mou's Chelsea 2004/05
3. Liverpool 2006/07
4. Man Utd 2007/08

He lost every single tie against English teams.
Except in 2006, when we had Van Bommel.
We KOd Mou's Chelsea in 1/8 and won against Arsenal in a final.

Could be a coincidence.
Or he could be just a type of player to use against dirty and athletic English teams.

And one of my favorite videos:

Argentina have historically played pretty dirty football and they're from South America

 

[Qqqq]

You could just as easily find a similar video of Vidal, and hail him as our saviour.

But wait, how did he work out for us? Didn't he play that very same 2-8 game?

 

[clemente]

Wasn't Vidals fault that game, he can't cover for Busquets, and the whole backline.

 

[Qqqq]

No one has claimed it was.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Looks like the Koeman lineup will be:

Semedo-Pique-Lenglet-Alba
De Jong-Pjanic
Wijnaldum
Griezmann-Messi-Depay

Looks great and much improved from last year. Would have preferred Messi left so we could play like a team again. Our play and tactical structure will look weird at times, that is not the fault of Koeman but due to Messi not following any instructions. I can see us going for Dumfries in couple of weeks and possibly Soyuncu.

Dembele has to start. We need proper wingers badly.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

You could just as easily find a similar video of Vidal, and hail him as our saviour.

But wait, how did he work out for us? Didn't he play that very same 2-8 game?

One player ain't enough

 

[Raketa10]

Vidal was never a good fit. Anyone thinking differently is blind. We should have never bought him in the first place. His positional play and ball control is abysmal and that's something every Barca player needs to have.

 

[BBZ8800]

You could just as easily find a similar video of Vidal, and hail him as our saviour.

But wait, how did he work out for us? Didn't he play that very same 2-8 game?

1 fighter in a team full of turtles, old grannies, misfits and sulkers?

Yes. Vidal is guilty.

Let's play with 11 choirboys.

 

[Qqqq]

One player ain't enough

Obviously. But it apparently is according to BBZ:

If you play against Liverpool or Bayern, and they are playing dirty, fouling you, using dirty tricks, influencing the ref and similar.
Would you rather have a nice guy Busi, and Puig around him or 1-2 guys like Van Bommel?
With Van Bommel, you can't lose 2:8. And if you are losing, you won't lose without giving a fight, a few kicks to opponent, some yelling, yellow cards and similar.

 

[Alik]

Obviously. But it apparently is according to BBZ:

Touche.