FC Barcelona Discussion

[SirBalon]

50 minutes ago, Philippe Coutinho said:

Is that supposed to be Umtiti? LOL! 

Love the seat reserved for Griezmann  

 

That is hilarious! 

Iniesta behind the bar serving Rakitić is brilliant... But Umtiti burying his money almost made me vomit with laughter. 

Who's the one snorkelling! Semedo or Dembélé? Hahahaha

[Philippe Coutinho]

7 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

That is hilarious! 

Iniesta behind the bar serving Rakitić is brilliant... But Umtiti burying his money almost made me vomit with laughter. 

Who's the one snorkelling! Semedo? Hahahaha

Think that's Dembele in the pool with Coutinho mate...ROFLMFAO!!

If you look carefully, Umtiti is lounging and wallowing in the loot Barca's paying for staying mate  Just like the guys from Breaking Bad in the video below. Keep on pimpin' pimpin'  

 

[Stan]

18 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

That is hilarious! 

Iniesta behind the bar serving Rakitić is brilliant... But Umtiti burying his money almost made me vomit with laughter. 

Who's the one snorkelling! Semedo or Dembélé? Hahahaha

 

7 minutes ago, Philippe Coutinho said:

Think that's Dembele in the pool with Coutinho mate...ROFLMFAO!!

If you look carefully, Umtiti is lounging and wallowing in the loot Barca's paying for staying mate  Just like the guys from Breaking Bad in the video below. Keep on pimpin' pimpin'  

 

I thought it was Demeble laying on the money cos of how much his transfer fee was ? 

[Philippe Coutinho]

10 minutes ago, Stan said:

 

I thought it was Demeble laying on the money cos of how much his transfer fee was ? 

Great artwork is perceived  differently by every single person who comes into contact with it  If ten million people look at a particular work, it will have ten million totally separate - and totally valid - interpretations.  

https://www.quora.com/How-much-of-art-is-artist-intent-and-how-much-is-viewer-interpretation

Edited April 8, 2018 by Philippe Coutinho

[SirBalon]

If it wasn’t enough that he’s one of the greatest centre-backs in the history of the game, Carles Puyol was also the ultimate gentleman and a no nonsense guy...

 

[SirBalon]

 

[Carnivore Chris]

29 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

 

This Barcelona season is like Mike Tyson's boxing career. For as much of a beast he was and how he went undefeated, KO'ing everyone for however many fights and winning trophies, they will remember him for being knocked out off Buster Douglas is an embarrassing manner.

A tarnished campaign in many ways.

I'm not saying Barcelona had to win the Champions league this season, as it's difficult to win such a competition over a long season and even winning it 4 times over 12 years is a feat(even though I think this club, with all the quality and brilliance over said period should have won more) but it's the fashion, the manner, the fact it's before the semis against a side who were beaten 4-1 in the first leg and were regarded by most as being the pick of the bunch when it came  to the draw. This was no tight knit loss semi final vs Bayern or end to end thrilling 5-4 contest vs Liverpool, it was an embarrassing battering and lifeless performance after being 4-1 up.

 

[Samuel Eto'o]

 

[Samuel Eto'o]

 

[Samuel Eto'o]

@SirBalon The exit to Roma stings more than bowing out to Juventus last year. The tie was literally ours to lose. "You had one job....................................................................................."

Valverde built our hopes up so high only for it to be dashed in 90 minutes. (One could argue 180 mins over the course of the 2 matches). 

Guess we'll go on to win the Domestic Double now. Not my favourite pair of Double Ds mind. 

Edited April 11, 2018 by Paulo Dybala

[Samuel Eto'o]

@SirBalon I can forgive the tactical mistakes, the wrong strategy etc. But for Valverde not to get all worked up/was lacking in passion even when it was 2-0, 3-0? That to me is unforgivable. 

Give me a frothing in the mouth PASSIONATE wildly gesticulating manager a la Guardiola/Klopp any day. At least they care, unlike the dispassionate "student-of-the-game" Aquarian Valverde. 

Edited April 11, 2018 by Paulo Dybala

[Samuel Eto'o]

@SirBalon No excuses: Valverde better put a priority on an undefeated La Liga season now. What else kinda history is he gonna make?

Vis a vis Real Madrid: we've won the battle but we may have lost the war. Congrats to them on a third successive European Cup/Champions League title. Hasn't been done since the mid 1970s. 

Edited April 11, 2018 by Paulo Dybala

[Dalmore]

Where was Barca last night? Didn't see any other team in Olimpico other than Roma.  and Roma isn't even in the top 3 in Serie A while Barcelona is first with huge distance from the second. how can you explain this?

[Samuel Eto'o]

Just now, Dalmore said:

Where was Barca last night? Didn't see any other team in Olimpico other than Roma.  and Roma isn't even in the top 3 in Serie A while Barcelona is first with huge distance from the second. how can you explain this?

When I saw that Valverde took Iniesta off and put Andre Gomes on I just laughed my head off. Showed his lack of managerial acumen on the continental stage. 

[Samuel Eto'o]

 

[Dalmore]

5 minutes ago, Paulo Dybala said:

When I saw that Valverde took Iniesta off and put Andre Gomes on I just laughed my head off. Showed his lack of managerial acumen on the continental stage. 

the only thing that makes me feel bad about Barcelona's elimination is Iniesta. I always loved this guy and if this was his last CHL in his career then it is really sad for me.

[SirBalon]

7 hours ago, The Rebel CRS said:

This Barcelona season is like Mike Tyson's boxing career. For as much of a beast he was and how he went undefeated, KO'ing everyone for however many fights and winning trophies, they will remember him for being knocked out off Buster Douglas is an embarrassing manner.

A tarnished campaign in many ways.

I'm not saying Barcelona had to win the Champions league this season, as it's difficult to win such a competition over a long season and even winning it 4 times over 12 years is a feat(even though I think this club, with all the quality and brilliance over said period should have won more) but it's the fashion, the manner, the fact it's before the semis against a side who were beaten 4-1 in the first leg and were regarded by most as being the pick of the bunch when it came  to the draw. This was no tight knit loss semi final vs Bayern or end to end thrilling 5-4 contest vs Liverpool, it was an embarrassing battering and lifeless performance after being 4-1 up.

 

True mate, but you know as well as I do that Barcelona possibly winning the double (La Liga and Copa del Rey) can end up almost being a nothing situation if Real Madrid win the Champions League.  Because of the nature in which things work in Spain, the mechanics surrounding everything to do with football will go along that route.

That's what's incredible in my opinion because in real terms, no matter how Real Madrid's season is painted, it's been a total mega disaster, but the Champions League will be like that nice lick of paint over an ugly collapsing wall.

[bozziovai]

i feel sorry for Valverde.     Pique is as stupid as ever.   A veteran but still clings to the arms of an opponent in the penalty box.   like watdafak .....

[SirBalon]

24 minutes ago, bozziovai said:

i feel sorry for Valverde.     Pique is as stupid as ever.   A veteran but still clings to the arms of an opponent in the penalty box.   like watdafak .....

If that was Piqué's only mistake yesterday, it'd be ok. But he made countless errors that almost resulted in goals and Džeko's headed goal was also his fault.

[Panna King]

Barcelona need a fresh make over, they have bought a lot of shit over the years and time to get some fresh real talent. 

[Samuel Eto'o]

It hurts to say but Valverde is a small time/small game manager with a small game mentality. Lacks the tactical nous to be a true Barca great. Barca deserves and needs/requires better. 

Still in a state of shock.

@Dalmore 's right. Barca didn't show up. At all. Not even the bad version of Barca. 

 

I blame the away jersey. Just don't like it :O) :O) 

 

Comebacks in football: didn't think we'd see anything remotely approaching the Barca 6-5 PSG last season. This one may have topped that one in terms of sheer impossibility in pure football terms. 

 

Don't blame it just on complacency. When we get a result like this (a match that should NEVER have been lost), there's something wrong at the institutional level, not just managerial (Valverde) level.  All this doing well in La Liga was papering over the cracks. Something is rotten at the very root/core. The Barca board (Bartomeu et al) needs to go. Have said this for a while now. 

 

#BartomeuDimiteYa 

 

Bring in a PASSIONATE PRESIDENT (a la Laporta) while you're at it. Someone who genuinely cares about the club, someone who isn't just about merchandising and "Barca's global reach".

 

I suppose @SirBalon said it best (apropos the Roma Barca tie). Paraphrasing cos don't recall exact wording: "This tie is not what it seems."

Edited April 11, 2018 by Paulo Dybala

[SirBalon]

16 minutes ago, Paulo Dybala said:

It hurts to say but Valverde is a small time/small game manager with a small game mentality. Lacks the tactical nous to be a true Barca great. Barca deserves and needs/requires better. 

Still in a state of shock.

@Dalmore 's right. Barca didn't show up. At all. Not even the bad version of Barca. 

 

I blame the away jersey. Just don't like it :O) :O) 

 

Comebacks in football: didn't think we'd see anything remotely approaching the Barca 6-5 PSG last season. This one may have topped that one in terms of sheer impossibility in pure football terms. 

 

Don't blame it just on complacency. When we get a result like this (a match that should NEVER have been lost), there's something wrong at the institutional level, not just managerial (Valverde) level.  All this doing well in La Liga was papering over the cracks. Something is rotten at the very root/core. The Barca board (Bartomeu et al) needs to go. Have said this for a while now. 

 

#BartomeuDimiteYa 

 

Bring in a PASSIONATE PRESIDENT (a la Laporta) while you're at it. Someone who genuinely cares about the club, someone who isn't just about merchandising and "Barca's global reach".

 

I suppose @SirBalon said it best (apropos the Roma Barca tie). Paraphrasing cos don't recall exact wording: "This tie is not what it seems."

Ernesto Valverde is an excellent coach mate and a perfect fit for what Barcelona need. It seems you’re basing a whole season on the Champions League and if this is the case then this is absolutely mental. I know football fans outside Europe feel that the be all and end all is the Champions League and also adding to the fact the size of FCB and that they always set out to compete to win every competition.

If Barcelona are in such a bad state, then Real Madrid who currently sit in 4th spot in La Liga and got knocked out by Leganés in the Copa del Rey (almost knocked out by third tier side Fuenlabrada in the previous round) must be almost about to fold as a club!

There was a combination of factors as to why Barça capitulated last night and Valverde (who isn’t without some blame) was the least culpable. The biggest issue was complacency and that was part of the reason as to why I said there was more to this tie than meets the eye. Unbeaten in La Liga, in the Final of the Copa del Rey and in the QF of the Champions League having only conceded 3 goals until then in that competition... Complacency and a lack of respect was the biggest virus sitting in the background ready to strike if all the usual steps weren’t taken. At 4-1 from the first leg you can’t be eliminated because Barça aren’t Paris Saint-Germain with all due respects.

Busquets isn’t ready to play and it was obvious yesterday that he isn’t match fit which affected Iniesta’s display as he feeds off him, while Piqué (fundamentally) and Semedo were terrible. There were NO decent displays yesterday from any Barcelona player and they didn’t show up in Rome to face a quarter-final clash and this tells you how bad those two were.  

[Samuel Eto'o]

The Champions League may not be the be all and end all, but it's right up there. I'd be willing to wager that Messi (at this stage in his career), with his 8 La Liga titles, would rather start winning more Champions League titles, if given the choice between the two. He has 4 to date. 

Let's not kid ourselves here: Real Madrid has ALWAYS prioritized and focused the CL, more oftentimes than not at the expense of La Liga. All the big guns, big boys and clubs play loads of matches each season. Such is the nature of the beautiful game that we all love. Everyone knows it's not easy winning a double, let alone a treble. So the question becomes which competition takes more priority over the others. 

Couple mates of mine (fellow lifelong Barca supporters) are presently in Rome. They're saying that the week is starting to feel like an eternity in the Eternal City  

I wanted the Champions League title so badly this season. Even more than an undefeated La Liga season and Copa del Rey. To think that Real Madrid may very well win their third CL on the trot (which puts them in the same league, maybe even surpassing the great Ajax and Bayern teams of the 1970s) when we were pretty much the only ones that could have stopped them from doing so? A bit of a bitter taste in the mouth for any true Barca supporter.

(All the more so because we had complete control over how this tie would go, based upon the results of the 1st leg.) Going out to Juventus last season was understandable. They were simply better. Credit where it's due. Can we honestly say this Roma team were better, not just in the tie?)

The European Cup/Champions League crowns the Kings of Europe/Champions of Europe. La Liga crowns the Champions of Spain. By default, there's a reason why "REAL/Royal" Madrid always goes for the CL crown. King of Kings. 

They DON'T have the small game mentality. They play their swashbuckling football and expect to win. Score as many goals as possible. Less tactical, in that sense, compared to this Valverde's version of Barca. (This Barca was supposed to be efficient/effective too but just can't match Real Madrid who have regained their form at the right time.)

All the more reason for us to go all out and snatch the CL crown back from them in MADRID at the Wanda Metropolitano next season innit?? Cos you KNOW they would just LOVE to win it in their local/rival's stadium. 

Undefeated La Liga season/yet another domestic double this season? Check

Win the Champions League in your eternal rival/arch nemesis' city next season? Check

Priorities, mate  

I want Roma or Liverpool to win the whole thing now. A Roma vs Liverpool Champions League Final would be a dream come true. Spirit of 1984 baby.

Both boast Boston-based ownership, incidentally.

Non-Yanks hate stats, but here's a stat that's not insignificant: In the past 12 seasons that Barca haven't won it, every single team that's beaten us has  ALWAYS made it to the Champions League Final. This probably is the case for the seasons before the afore-mentioned 12 too.

So a warning to whoever gets Il Giallorossi in the semis: count them out at your peril. 

(Hate that Barca has to be the team that all others learn a lesson from though!!)

Edited April 11, 2018 by Paulo Dybala

[Samuel Eto'o]

If it's so easy to win the Champions League compared to La Liga (seems to be the prevailing school of thought in some circles) then why haven't other teams won it over Real Madrid? 

Again, priorities and winning mentality. Real Madrid have literally made it "their competition."

Winning La Liga is extremely grueling and challenging. Winning the Champions League may be even harder (at least where Barca's concerned).

I suppose it puts Barcelona's 4 Champions League titles in 12 years into perspective when you realize just how hard it is to win the competition.

To think that Real Madrid may very well win 4 in 5 years!

I shudder to think. 

 

Oh and about the stupid "Ronaldo vs Messi" debate?? Does anyone really think that either of them would be in the conversation for/contenders for the "Greatest of All Time" if not for one trying to outdo the other? Not a chance/not on your life. So let's all enjoy the both of them while we can (truly historic football times we're living in, this) without getting drawn into the silly debates as to "who's better" which seem to clog up a lot of TF365 these days. For theirs is a symbiotic relationship: one's greatness could not exist without the other.

Because of that very reason, by that very same token, if Ronaldo wins yet another Ballon d'Or and Champions League title this year it'll be because of Messi  

(certain truths are revealed in jest, mind)

We need a major overhaul: defense, midfield, even attack (Suarez and Messi not getting any younger).

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by Paulo Dybala

[Dalmore]

Iniesta had seen it coming from the first half and he warned his teammates during the half-time but nobody gave a crap. It's really sad if that was his last match in CHL.

Edited April 11, 2018 by Dalmore