Roiling football blather

[bandshell]

I don't think 'sterile' is a good description. Just sounds like a bitter Wenger trying to discredit them in some way.

They're not perfect. They make mistakes. They dive and bend the rules. They show weakness. They're just very, very good and a pleasure to watch.

 

[hopper]

Watched it last night. United looked shite for the whole of the second half basically, I know Barca are amazing but United's tactic seemed to literally just be 'punt it up to the strikers and hope they get something on it'. I suppose that's hitting them on the break, at least theoretically? Also I suppose Barca run after the ball so eagerly when they occasionally lose it that (as Roy Keane said on ITV) the pitch seems to get smaller...

Villa's shot for the third goal was fucking beautiful.

I feel like I could really get into football but it would intefere with my busy routine of music/self obsession.

I think when you're playing against Barcelona whatever your tactics were end up getting demolished and everyone has to improvise for damage limitation

 

[e/y]

my favourite two moments of the match were Xavi's pass to Pedro for the opening goal, and Abidal getting the armband at the end.

wonderful game of football.

 

[baboon2004]

Loved the Abidal bit, agreed. Wathced it in Parc de Ciutadella (sp?) in Barca, atmosphere was crazy. Flares everywhere after the goals...

Watching it back last night for the football more than the atmosphere, can't help feeling that Man U's defending for the goals (esp the third) was incredibly suspect. Villa had SO much time - it was a beautiful shot, but he had seconds to line it up. Peculiar game - was it that Man U's defenders had been knackered out by constantly having to chase?

And Giggs was made to look like a beginner at times, which is a sentence I never thought I'd write. Almost embarrassing.

Edit: And Wenger should be ashamed if he did called them 'sterile'. It's what he's been trying to make Arsenal into for the past 15 years, ffs! Messi and sterile are antithetical, for a start....

 

[crackerjack]

Excellent doc here about the really big news in football

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b011j7vp/

 

[e/y]

@baboon

iirc, he called it 'sterile domination', and I saw it as more or less a positive thing, as I assume it was in reference to the way Barcelona suffocate their opponent's play by either keeping the ball or with relentless, systematic pressing (Lobanovsky would have loved this team). despite the undeniable flair of the team, Pep is actually a very pragmatic manager.

plus, like you said, Arsene has been trying to replicate this at Arsenal.

(I am, of course, biased as I'm a Gooner).


as for United's performance, well, Barca can make anyone look ordinary, but playing 4-4-1-1 (even with Rooney dropping back a lot) with a not particularly good midfield two didn't help. I was also surprised that they didn't pressure Busquets more, but I guess it is easier said than done.

 

[crackerjack]

this play-off final is proper - if you're near a telly get it on



jesus - Reading just hit post - would've completed 3-goal comeback in 15 mins had it gone in

 

[baboon2004]

SWAAAAAAANNSEA!!! Yes!

Properly good match too, as crackerjack said. Hopefully Reading will be up there next season.

 

[don_quixote]

oi, no supporting championship teams unless it's forest or brighton this coming season

watched the cl final in a pub in manchester. watched the league 2 playoff final at old trafford earlier that day.

i can confirm that barcelona are better than torquay united. sorry torquay fans.

 

[hucks]

There's a really good tactical analysis of the game in the comments on the Guardian, here

By game I mean CL final, not League 2 play offs.

 

[craner]

SWAAAAAAANNSEA!!! Yes!

If I hadn't actually been in Swansea today, I wouldn't have believed you.

 

[e/y]

There's a really good tactical analysis of the game in the comments on the Guardian, here

By game I mean CL final, not League 2 play offs.

good stuff. I used to read the sportblog comments fairly regularly, but now just check certain user's comments from time to time through their Guardian profiles - for tactics, a guy called Roberticus is very good. he also has a blog (linked in the profile), but doesn't update it very often.

also, this is pretty cool:

 

[baboon2004]

There's a really good tactical analysis of the game in the comments on the Guardian, here

By game I mean CL final, not League 2 play offs.

This is brilliant, agreed. The point about Busquets and Xavi swapping positions is a great one, and explains so much about why United got pummelled after the opening period.

 

[hucks]

good stuff. I used to read the sportblog comments fairly regularly, but now just check certain user's comments from time to time through their Guardian profiles - for tactics, a guy called Roberticus is very good. he also has a blog (linked in the profile), but doesn't update it very often.

also, this is pretty cool:

That is an amazing, amazing graphic. Looks like an explosion in the Barca midfield. And the two most common Man U passes - long hoof to Rooney and killer ten yard sideways from Vidic to Ferdinand.

 

[bandshell]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13654209

Footballer Wayne Rooney has confirmed he has had a hair transplant at a top London clinic in a bid to restore his receding locks to their former glory.

On 7 May, Manchester United star Michael Owen tweeted: "How old are you in that photo? Your face looks like a 12 year olds but your hair looks like a 60 year old!".

"Easy mo u know that's a sensitive subject," was Rooney's response.

 

[crackerjack]

Anyone else watching this?

Young just equalised with a great goal, though Wilshere appears to be the best player on the pitch by a mile. Encouraging comeback, now win it, if only cos I feel a desperate urge to put one over the fucking Swiss this week.

 

[crackerjack]

First impressions:

Oh dear
There's a good reason why Bent kept not being picked all those years
Young must start ahead of Milner
Johnson will never learn
Wilshere is class
Lampard has delighted us long enough

 

[hucks]

First impressions:

Oh dear
There's a good reason why Bent kept not being picked all those years
Young must start ahead of Milner
Johnson will never learn
Wilshere is class
Lampard has delighted us long enough

Agree with all that. Was trying to work out if this was the worst England side since 93, Turnip head and all that. Granted, Rooney and Gerrard were out, but we had three Aston Villa players on the pitch by the end. Villa are mid table in the prem. Scott Parker just got relegated, and managed to somehow improve his rep through so doing. Walcott is no better now that he was four years ago. Johnson we've mentioned. Rio and Terry are in serious decline. Hart is the best of an incredibly bad bunch, and that he might himself not be very good is a real possibility that does not bear thinking about.

It's a bad side at the moment. Tho Mclaren's marvels of 2007 probably pip them. For all the moaning we did about the "So called" "Golden generation", what's coming through behind them is much worse.

 

[crackerjack]

I thought Rio and Terry were OK today, though clearly they're not a long-term prospect. I'm not sure Rio is even a medium-term prospect, sadly.

edit: actually, just remembered Rio was at fault for the first goal, so should withdraw that, though I think he's still pretty stellar when he plays for Utd

 

[hucks]

What I don't get, having given this more thought, is how England went from the 3-1 in Switzerland earlier this season, which was the best England performance for years, to this. Was the team so different? Or are they always just knackered at the end of the season?