2010-11 Football Thread

On May 15 2011 20:20 RiKD wrote: Show nested quote + On May 15 2011 11:40 pluzich wrote: In recent Barca games Dani Alves has been 'tied' to his half, kid of funny, once even ran forward and Villa literally showed him with his hand like "go back dude u crazy? " They have been putting Affelay in front of him who is like a classical winger, (unlike anyone in Barca), he still manages to literally run into the spot where Affelay is standing, gives him the ball, remembers he shouldn't be doing this and runs back super-fast. Overall Barca have problems with the defense, Mascerano is really a defensive midfielder so when they put Busquets as a defender the passing flow is not the same (Bousquets is 2nd to 4th in Barca with passes completed in a regular game). When the put Mascerano as a defender it sucks because he is not a central defender, he gets caught oop. They tried both setups during the season, IMO the second one with Busquets in the middlefield is better but still vulnerable. So IMO the question is whether Barca will get Puyol/Abidal back for the final. If Puyol is in shape they will be OK (not an underdog, maybe slight favorite). If Puyol+Abidal are like 70-80% in shape Barca are favorites. If they both don't play/play bad Manchester are favorites. Will be awesome game anyway. haha, i think it was the barcelona v espanyol game from a week ago the announcer brought up a hilarious stat on alves. he has the 3rd most touches in the final 3rd of ANY player in la liga. about second part. i just assumed puyol was gonna be in shape. pique y puyol should absolutely murder chicharito. if puyol doesn't play rooney/midfield and chicharito/berbaduckegg could actually find a lot of spots/space and cause a lot of problems. busquets is ok and solid back there but definitely no puyol. i also assumed abidal was gonna be fine. if not valencia could def cause a lot of problems on that side. if both those guys are "questionable" this is getting close to a coinflip and possibly more fun although i really enjoy watching puyol play.

You're right, Alves is second/third usually in Barca with passes completed, Xavi is always the first obv.
But now that the defense is fucked up Alves is forced to play as a real defender. Barca defense is really really good when they are all in shape, their goal difference is 92-20 against Madrid's 94-32, 20 goals in the whole season is ridic. I have never seen such an attacking side concede so few goals from counterattacks.

Fighting for the midfield vs. Barca is kind of hopeless IMO, so I think Manchester is going to counterattack mostly and use wings (Valencia etc.).

Go Barca ~~!!11

Barcelona is the biggest and best team the world will ever know and they have the best players in the best shape since a decade I dont think Manchester have more than 20% chances winning

I'm 100% rooting for Man U vs Barca, I've never liked spanish football that much whereas Man U are sick heroes, plus I like England a lot. Realistically Barca have the edge and will probably win but it's just one game, anything can happen. go Man U!

bet the lions to win this year

On May 17 2011 10:47 Spitfiree wrote: Barcelona is the biggest and best team the world will ever know and they have the best players in the best shape since a decade I dont think Manchester have more than 20% chances winning

Giving them 20% is just wrong. ManU has played an extremly solid season this year, in competition and leagues. They also have an excellent bench.
With players like Rooney, Vidic, Van der Sar, Giggs who can all make a difference you cannot give this team just 20%.
Furthermore Hernandez is in top form as a striker. Manchester's passing game is very very good as well.
Winning the hardest league in Europe (Englands Premier League) and reaching the finals of the CL says quite enough.

Let's hope the final is going to be a good one. I would say Barcelona is favorite (purely because of Messi) but not more then 60%.

Arsenal actually came pretty damn close in knocking Barca out of the CL. Let's hope ManU will not play like Real and play on the counter. If they both play their own game, it's going to be awesome.

Barca have the best player, ManU have the best manager. Barca would be a clear favorite still if everyone where in the same shape they were when the thrashed Madrid 5:0. But they aren't and ManU has started the season slow and then got better and better. I'm a big Barca fan but again, if both Puyol and Abidal are not playing ManU would have at least even odds for winning this.

On May 17 2011 16:19 gororokgororok wrote: Show nested quote + On May 17 2011 10:47 Spitfiree wrote: Barcelona is the biggest and best team the world will ever know and they have the best players in the best shape since a decade I dont think Manchester have more than 20% chances winning Giving them 20% is just wrong. ManU has played an extremly solid season this year, in competition and leagues. They also have an excellent bench. With players like Rooney, Vidic, Van der Sar, Giggs who can all make a difference you cannot give this team just 20%. Furthermore Hernandez is in top form as a striker. Manchester's passing game is very very good as well. Winning the hardest league in Europe (Englands Premier League) and reaching the finals of the CL says quite enough. Let's hope the final is going to be a good one. I would say Barcelona is favorite (purely because of Messi) but not more then 60%.

Agree with gororok. Saying that a top quality team like Man U has a 20% chance of winning this ONE GAME vs a (probably) slightly better team is dumb.

On May 17 2011 16:22 gororokgororok wrote: Arsenal actually came pretty damn close in knocking Barca out of the CL. Let's hope ManU will not play like Real and play on the counter. If they both play their own game, it's going to be awesome.

50 bucks you didnt watch the 3-1 game as far as i know Arsenal are still ron Camp Nou searching for the ball
actually only weak spot in which Man Utd has an advantage is Valencia's side - If Valencia makes a great match chances of Man Utd rise significantly
other than that im pretty sure that if Scholes is in play he ll try to break the legs of either Alves or Messi

Puyol is obviously playing and Im not sure that starting with Abidal would be the best case scenario for Barcelona considering the things he went through past couple of months I doubt he is up to the challenge mentally at this point

and a big l O l at basically saying Messi = Barcelona are u serious ?

+ i just remembered actually Hernandez is in much better shape than Villa that doesnt necessarily mean Man.Utd have an advantage there considering Barcelona's offensive

Ferguson is probably gonna go out with a diamond scheme and you saw how did that work out for Real Madrid


Actually someone should probably go ahead and just contuse Valdes since Barcelona doesnt have a 2nd goal keeper for the match

On May 17 2011 10:47 Spitfiree wrote: Barcelona is the biggest and best team the world will ever know and they have the best players in the best shape since a decade I dont think Manchester have more than 20% chances winning

care to put down some money on that claim?

i'll take manu at 4:1 for any amount ;o

also that claim coming from a guy from Bulgaria is kinda strange (berby about to win the golden boot in the EPL)

On May 17 2011 17:50 Spitfiree wrote: Show nested quote + On May 17 2011 16:22 gororokgororok wrote: Arsenal actually came pretty damn close in knocking Barca out of the CL. Let's hope ManU will not play like Real and play on the counter. If they both play their own game, it's going to be awesome. 50 bucks you didnt watch the 3-1 game as far as i know Arsenal are still ron Camp Nou searching for the ball actually only weak spot in which Man Utd has an advantage is Valencia's side - If Valencia makes a great match chances of Man Utd rise significantly other than that im pretty sure that if Scholes is in play he ll try to break the legs of either Alves or Messi Puyol is obviously playing and Im not sure that starting with Abidal would be the best case scenario for Barcelona considering the things he went through past couple of months I doubt he is up to the challenge mentally at this point and a big l O l at basically saying Messi = Barcelona are u serious ? + i just remembered actually Hernandez is in much better shape than Villa that doesnt necessarily mean Man.Utd have an advantage there considering Barcelona's offensive Ferguson is probably gonna go out with a diamond scheme and you saw how did that work out for Real Madrid Actually someone should probably go ahead and just contuse Valdes since Barcelona doesnt have a 2nd goal keeper for the match

Ok you can transfer 50bucks to gororok on stars then
I watched it and just because Barca had 70% ball possesion doesnt meant they are a clear favorite to win. This was the same vs Real madrid in the last 4 classico's and they won 1. Draw 2 and Lost 1.
In the Arsenal game it was actually Robin van Persie who ruined it for Arsenal by getting an early red. If Bendtner would have scored eye in eye vs Valdes then would have been in front with 10 minutes to go or something?
This confirms that Arsenal had a good chance of winning. And ManU is a better team ATM so 20% is just ignorant

I'm also not sure why you think Valencia will make or break the game for ManU since he probably will start on the bench. All in all this makes me question your football knowlegde.

Oh yeah and FYI Messi was responsible for 70% of goals of Barcelona this season. (assist or made them by himselfes)

Just curious to find out how much playing at Wembley vs elsewhere benefits Man U?

They know how it plays and they will def have the fan support. I'm really excited to see this match - I think it'll be a really close game but gotta go with my team Man U ^_^

On May 18 2011 02:42 Svenman87 wrote: Just curious to find out how much playing at Wembley vs elsewhere benefits Man U? They know how it plays and they will def have the fan support. I'm really excited to see this match - I think it'll be a really close game but gotta go with my team Man U ^_^

Wembley obv. favors United, the fans will be about 1/3 Barca 2/3 ManU. But its nowhere near playing @ Old Trafford.

On May 18 2011 02:20 gororokgororok wrote: Show nested quote + On May 17 2011 17:50 Spitfiree wrote:   On May 17 2011 16:22 gororokgororok wrote: Arsenal actually came pretty damn close in knocking Barca out of the CL. Let's hope ManU will not play like Real and play on the counter. If they both play their own game, it's going to be awesome. 50 bucks you didnt watch the 3-1 game as far as i know Arsenal are still ron Camp Nou searching for the ball actually only weak spot in which Man Utd has an advantage is Valencia's side - If Valencia makes a great match chances of Man Utd rise significantly other than that im pretty sure that if Scholes is in play he ll try to break the legs of either Alves or Messi Puyol is obviously playing and Im not sure that starting with Abidal would be the best case scenario for Barcelona considering the things he went through past couple of months I doubt he is up to the challenge mentally at this point and a big l O l at basically saying Messi = Barcelona are u serious ? + i just remembered actually Hernandez is in much better shape than Villa that doesnt necessarily mean Man.Utd have an advantage there considering Barcelona's offensive Ferguson is probably gonna go out with a diamond scheme and you saw how did that work out for Real Madrid Actually someone should probably go ahead and just contuse Valdes since Barcelona doesnt have a 2nd goal keeper for the match Ok you can transfer 50bucks to gororok on stars then I watched it and just because Barca had 70% ball possesion doesnt meant they are a clear favorite to win. This was the same vs Real madrid in the last 4 classico's and they won 1. Draw 2 and Lost 1. In the Arsenal game it was actually Robin van Persie who ruined it for Arsenal by getting an early red. If Bendtner would have scored eye in eye vs Valdes then would have been in front with 10 minutes to go or something? This confirms that Arsenal had a good chance of winning. And ManU is a better team ATM so 20% is just ignorant I'm also not sure why you think Valencia will make or break the game for ManU since he probably will start on the bench. All in all this makes me question your football knowlegde.

Agree on Barcelona vs. Arsenal. They made 0 shots on goal and had like 25% ball possession and still could have qualified , had Bendtner actually managed to shoot that one time on target. And yeah van Persie just pressed the self-destruct button earlier in the game. And the way they won the 1st game was really curious, Barca just kind-of fell apart in the end, you don't see that happen often.

I also think 20% is ridiculous but look at the William Hill odds:

Barcelona v Man Utd (first 90 minutes)
Barca win 10/11
Draw 11/5
Utd win 5/2

The bet "To win in extra time " goes for
7/1 for Barca and 12/1 for United.

I think this is ridic., should sign up and bet against Barca they cannot be such a big favorite.

You can get barca at evens to win in normal time on betfair and I think that's stunning value - my money is being piled on that, with another few quid on manu to win it in extra time because I think if manu have survived the 90 mins then they are probably fully in the game so in extra time the teams will probably be playing much closer to equal, making barcelona too heavy favourites to win in extra time.

And on Barca v Arsenal - yes arsenal could have won, but to beat barca that's what it takes - scoring every single chance, hoping they miss a few and hanging on hoping you can scrape an own goal and a 1 on 1. It's just like a fish can win hu against a good player. And lol at saying van persie was stupid - did you see his second yellow card? He shot at goal ONE SECOND after the whistle went for offside with 90,000 people screaming loudly in the very near vicinity and got a yellow card for kicking the ball away. One of the very worst decisions of the season and nearly completely wrecked arsenal's slim chances, and certainly made the game much less good than it otherwise would have been.

On May 18 2011 07:26 Oly wrote: You can get barca at evens to win in normal time on betfair and I think that's stunning value - my money is being piled on that, with another few quid on manu to win it in extra time because I think if manu have survived the 90 mins then they are probably fully in the game so in extra time the teams will probably be playing much closer to equal, making barcelona too heavy favourites to win in extra time. And on Barca v Arsenal - yes arsenal could have won, but to beat barca that's what it takes - scoring every single chance, hoping they miss a few and hanging on hoping you can scrape an own goal and a 1 on 1. It's just like a fish can win hu against a good player. And lol at saying van persie was stupid - did you see his second yellow card? He shot at goal ONE SECOND after the whistle went for offside with 90,000 people screaming loudly in the very near vicinity and got a yellow card for kicking the ball away. One of the very worst decisions of the season and nearly completely wrecked arsenal's slim chances, and certainly made the game much less good than it otherwise would have been.

van Persie didn't get the card for that episode alone, he was involved in several episodes with semi-dirty plays after getting the card, including one with Alves where I think he hit Alves' face and Alves made sure referee sees it by rolling on the turf a bit, then there was an argument with half of the Barca team involved. The ref didn't show him the card there but he was called to the ref and the ref probably told him that the next time he is going to be out.

And he heard that whistle for sure. You could see it from his movement+shot, that was not the way he does it when he knows it counts. He came up with that idea of "I didn't listen it" later, he stood dumbfolded for like 10 seconds after getting the card and then he was like hey, I didn't listen it. Plus I have been to Camp Nou, my ass 90,000 people screaming, Barca fans are the worst at making noise/cheering, this is not EPL for you, half of the time its like you're in a tennis match, people look around and clap when Iniesta does some random trick.

Also, somehow they manage to listen to every single whistle during the game except the ones which involve offside situations.


And I think even odds for Barca winning by 90 mins is a bad call.

Yes Oly I agree that the first yellow card was kind of meh, but van Persie is known for this, he does it more often and should know better. The 2nd yellow card he was obviously frustrated and forced an error which led to a correct yellow card.