What a crazy game! It must have been fun for neutrals but for a Barca fan, it was frustrating to watch the team sqander a healthy lead and only just manage to win.

Alba's moment of madness produced a goal many strikers would dream of, while the ref added to the madness with his many yellow cards in the 2nd half.

Ok, we eventually won, but all the issues with the defence are plain to see. Investing in a DMF when CB was needed, not buying back Botia, not giving Bartra the chance to grow into the team...all these decisions may come back to hurt the team.

In attack, its clear to see why Tello gets the start - he's more direct than the others.

Villa isn't quite ready to start many matches yet.

Fab was excellent.

Next up Celtic.

Pique and Adriano might make an interesting CB pairing.
Now that Masch is out for the next game, I wonder what Tito will do.

But of course the bl00dy haters won't remember tonight what they always refer to as a soft penalty and a wrong red card. The guy tripped himself over masch for the pk, and for the red card masch clearly won the ball and never raised up his arm, instead the depo striker lowered his face down to masch'shand. So is it uefalona again or what? I wonder what if these decisions had gone in barca's favour.

ddippset: But of course the bl00dy haters won't remember tonight what they always refer to as a soft penalty and a wrong red card. The guy tripped himself over masch for the pk, and for the red card masch clearly won the ball and never raised up his arm, instead the depo striker lowered his face down to masch'shand. So is it uefalona again or what? I wonder what if these decisions had gone in barca's favour.

no mind those slow pokes,they wont talk now o....that goes to show you that most people just hate barca....(succesful ppl wil alwayz hv haterz

Did we actually concede those goals? I can't even believe they happened!
The referee was one big joke. He lost total control of the game with some inexplicable decisions he imposed on the game, not least the outside the box foul which he horribly called as a penalty,and the laughable red card he issued Mescharano for no reasons and the thousands of yellow card he flounted around as though his useless life depended on them.
I thank God all the immaturity he brought to bear in the game did not come back to hunt us. I think he deserves demotion for not doing anything to save what is left of the shattered image of the spanish Fa.
I have nothing to say about our defence and Mr. Valdes.

Yahoo1: no mind those slow pokes,they wont talk now o....that goes to show you that most people just hate barca....(succesful ppl wil alwayz hv haterz

fact! Real talk right there bro.

Thankfully the referee, valdez and alba did not succeed in spoiling the beauty of messi's hattrick.

AjanleKoko: Pique and Adriano might make an interesting CB pairing.
Now that Masch is out for the next game, I wonder what Tito will do.

Bartra should get the nod in that one. Its a home against Rayo.

Mcleo007:

Bartra should get the nod in that one. Its a home against Rayo.

It's an away game against Rayo on Saturday.

I'm happy we picked 3 points from the game. Messi and Cesc were superb! Congrats cules!

Cesc got a yellow on the bench, for celebrating Messi's 5th goal.
The ref beef us no be small sha.

Sometimes I think Valdes is intentionally put in the game to give the other team a fighting chance

A-40:
Sometimes I think Valdes is intentionally put in the game to give the other team a fighting chance

LOL.
Truth be told, Valdes is only an average keeper. A top-drawer save from him is like a solar eclipse We might not see one in our lives

yourangel:

It's an away game against Rayo on saturday next week.

I think Valdes is becoming a liability to the team. He adds nothing, but keeps taking away from the team. Is it that he can't be benched? I'm sorry to say that Valdes is the worst golie I've ever seen in my life.


I'm happy we picked 3 points from the match. The referee wanted to rob us, but Messi and cesc were great! Congrats cules!

You definitely didn't see Ruud Hesp or Rustu in between the sticks for us.

Yes! Valdes has been poor this season. He has been below par but this is the time he needs our support the most. Valdes has won us countless games in the past. He has been great for us these last couple of years. Even in this game, he made a couple of great saves to keep us in it towards the end so to say "He adds nothing to the team" or that "he's a liability" is beyond ridiculous. Let's not even forget the joke that our defense has become. When was the last time we had Alves-Puyol-Pique-Abidal start a game? Most keepers would struggle playing behind a defense that's a mish mash of midfielders and full-backs. The fact is Valdes is getting more exposed than he should be.

Watching the game again, truth is you can hardly blame him for any of the goals conceded:
1) Penalty
2) Could have done better. But that was a team concession on 2nd goal. Poor play by multiple players.
3) Free kick, top corner
4) Own goal

Would any1 agree with me, Tito rotates players more than Guadio did?

medjai: You definitely didn't see Ruud Hesp or Rustu in between the sticks for us.

Yes! Valdes has been poor this season. He has been below par but this is the time he needs our support the most. Valdes has won us countless games in the past. He has been great for us these last couple of years. Even in this game, he made a couple of great saves to keep us in it towards the end so to say "He adds nothing to the team" or that "he's a liability" is beyond ridiculous. Let's not even forget the joke that our defense has become. When was the last time we had Alves-Puyol-Pique-Abidal start a game? Most keepers would struggle playing behind a defense that's a mish mash of midfielders and full-backs. The fact is Valdes is getting more exposed than he should be.

Watching the game again, truth is you can hardly blame him for any of the goals conceded:
1) Penalty
2) Could have done better. But that was a team concession on 2nd goal. Poor play by multiple players.
3) Free kick, top corner
4) Own goal

God bless you for this comment! When things were moving well for him last 3 years, it was this same group of fans that were calling for him to take over from Casillas in the national team. Now he's experiencing some difficulty ,everybody is now calling for his head. I know he needs to be up there with the best in order to keep for the best team but these things do happen. He's a club veteran, you cannot just cast him away with a wave of hand as though he's a flop. What is even the guarantee that when we get this 'wonderful keeper' ,that he won't suffer the same up and down?

Johnpaul88: Did we actually concede those goals? I can't even believe they happened!
The referee was one big joke. He lost total control of the game with some inexplicable decisions he imposed on the game, not least the outside the box foul which he horribly called as a penalty,and the laughable red card he issued Mescharano for no reasons and the thousands of yellow card he flounted around as though his useless life depended on them.
I thank God all the immaturity he brought to bear in the game did not come back to hunt us. I think he deserves demotion for not doing anything to save what is left of the shattered image of the spanish Fa.
I have nothing to say about our defence and Mr. Valdes.

Johnpaul88: God bless you for this comment! When things were moving well for him last 3 years, it was this same group of fans that were calling for him to take over from Casillas in the national team. Now he's experiencing some difficulty ,everybody is now calling for his head. I know he needs to be up there with the best in order to keep for the best team but these things do happen. He's a club veteran, you cannot just cast him away with a wave of hand as though he's a flop. What is even the guarantee that when we get this 'wonderful keeper' ,that he won't suffer the same up and down?

After 9 goals at the raizor last night the 10th goal has been scored, for the perfect number ten. Young lionel messi is born. CONGRATULATIONS messi. Congratulations barcelona.

medjai: You definitely didn't see Ruud Hesp or Rustu in between the sticks for us.

Yes! Valdes has been poor this season. He has been below par but this is the time he needs our support the most. Valdes has won us countless games in the past. He has been great for us these last couple of years. Even in this game, he made a couple of great saves to keep us in it towards the end so to say "He adds nothing to the team" or that "he's a liability" is beyond ridiculous. Let's not even forget the joke that our defense has become. When was the last time we had Alves-Puyol-Pique-Abidal start a game? Most keepers would struggle playing behind a defense that's a mish mash of midfielders and full-backs. The fact is Valdes is getting more exposed than he should be.

Watching the game again, truth is you can hardly blame him for any of the goals conceded:
1) Penalty
2) Could have done better. But that was a team concession on 2nd goal. Poor play by multiple players.
3) Free kick, top corner
4) Own goal

I have always maintained that, the problem is not with Valdes, but the the way the team plays. tHE Barca philosophy does not favour the goalkeeper. It turns the goalkeeper a little away from his duties between the sticks to that of an outfield player in the quest for total football and game possession. Thus, it is easy for any decent goalkeeper to flop in this Barca set up. I bet u, even the likes of Joe Hart, Hugo Lloris and Iker Casillas will be sub-par when placed in the Barca system. The glorious feat is that, V.V has been in the setting for as long as possible, meaning he knows how the team plays and function at every move, which will also explain the sole reason behind the decision of the coaches and technical staff to stick with him and Pinto. As such, the opinions we the fans may have is so secondary to the case in question. IMO, Valdes is an an above average goalkeeper. He is good, and we should encourage him to be better, but to throw words at him, that's a NO!

eyoniggar: Would any1 agree with me, Tito rotates players more than Guadio did?

Yes he does and I like the fact that Tito's team is less predictable than Pep's.

medjai: You definitely didn't see Ruud Hesp or Rustu in between the sticks for us.

Lol, Hesp was an absolute disaster, but Rustu's situation was more complex, since he didn't really settle down in the team

Mcleo007:
tHE Barca philosophy does not favour the goalkeeper.

I bet u, even the likes of Joe Hart, Hugo Lloris and Iker Casillas will be sub-par when placed in the Barca system.

.

Sorry I have to disagree with you. We over-state the "Barca system" sometimes. Any decent keeper will do well where they go - it's not like Barca goalkeepers are required to have their hands tied behind their backs.

The same thought process you have above is when people say "it's difficult to find a CB who fits in the Barca system". But notice how many players who didn't grow up in the Barca system, yet managed to succeed in Barca: Ronaldinho, Deco, Etoo, Yaya Toure, Abidal, Alves, Mascherano, Villa, Zambrotta, Marquez, Giuly, Henrik Larsson, etc.

I think the "they cannot succeed in the Barca system" statement is just an excuse for the club not to buy players most times.

medjai: You definitely didn't see Ruud Hesp or Rustu in between the sticks for us.
Most keepers would struggle playing behind a defense that's a mish mash of midfielders and full-backs. The fact is Valdes is getting more exposed than he should be.

Watching the game again, truth is you can hardly blame him for any of the goals conceded:
1) Penalty
2) Could have done better. But that was a team concession on 2nd goal. Poor play by multiple players.
3) Free kick, top corner
4) Own goal

Lool Rustu is waaay better than Valdes abeg!! Remove Rustu and insert Bonano in your list
I do agree that Barca's defense has been ragged over the last two seasons but most of Valdes's errors have been individual and egregious!
The 2nd goal was solely Valdes's fault by the way

Falcao scored a stoppage time winner at Real Sociedad through a wonderful free kick to ensure they remain at par with the table topper, Barca and eight points ahead of their big City rival, Real Madrid.
I really wish they can sustain this for much longer and perhaps give us a genuine rivaly at the top outside of Madrid.

Guardiola expresses Bayern interest

Toni, who established a strong friendship with Guardiola when they played together at Brescia in 2003, has said the former Barcelona coach has enquired about Bayern and that he thinks he could be the ideal candidate to succeed Heynckes.

"He asked me before about FC Bayern," he told Bild am Sonntag. "I believe that the club's philosophy would suit him, and he is a very good coach who could be perfect for them. He would add something extra to the German mentality."

Asked what advice he would offer Guardiola, he said: "Go to Bayern! No matter what - Bayern! This is one of the best and most important clubs in the world. Coaches can work well in Munich because the money is there. They have the perfect stadium and good marketing."

AC Milan have been strongly linked with Guardiola, but Fiorentina striker Toni said: "In Italy, the conditions aren't nearly as good. The only club in Italy that is similar to Bayern is Juventus."

Toni added that the current Bayern team is "strong" but said they must win the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal this season "at all costs", as well as targeting the Champions League semi-final.

"If Bayern don't win a title for two years running, the bosses get nervous," he revealed.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1197103/luca-toni:-pep-guardiola-has-asked-about-bayern-munich?cc=5901

dayokanu: Guardiola expresses Bayern interest

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1197103/luca-toni:-pep-guardiola-has-asked-about-bayern-munich?cc=5901

Are you salivating already?

Johnpaul88: Falcao scored a stoppage time winner at Real Sociedad through a wonderful free kick to ensure they remain at par with the table topper, Barca and eight points ahead of their big City rival, Real Madrid.
I really wish they can sustain this for much longer and perhaps give us a genuine rivaly at the top outside of Madrid.

I am really praying for something like this, tired of seeing 2 clubs at the top always.

Johnpaul88: Falcao scored a stoppage time winner at Real Sociedad through a wonderful free kick to ensure they remain at par with the table topper, Barca and eight points ahead of their big City rival, Real Madrid.
I really wish they can sustain this for much longer and perhaps give us a genuine rivaly at the top outside of Madrid.

Initial gra gra! Soon they'll chicken out and the firepower goes where it used to be.

honeric01:

Maybe he's had time to think things over

medjai: You definitely didn't see Ruud Hesp or Rustu in between the sticks for us.

Yes! Valdes has been poor this season. He has been below par but this is the time he needs our support the most. Valdes has won us countless games in the past. He has been great for us these last couple of years. Even in this game, he made a couple of great saves to keep us in it towards the end so to say "He adds nothing to the team" or that "he's a liability" is beyond ridiculous. Let's not even forget the joke that our defense has become. When was the last time we had Alves-Puyol-Pique-Abidal start a game? Most keepers would struggle playing behind a defense that's a mish mash of midfielders and full-backs. The fact is Valdes is getting more exposed than he should be.

Watching the game again, truth is you can hardly blame him for any of the goals conceded:
1) Penalty
2) Could have done better. But that was a team concession on 2nd goal. Poor play by multiple players.
3) Free kick, top corner
4) Own goal

Na lie, bros.
Valdes is not a great keeper. Averagely decent, but not great.
He's not been exposed much due to the fact that the opposition hardly get the ball. But this season, some things have changed. Play is a bit more direct, pressing has reduced cos all the men in the middle tend to fall back when they don't have the ball. As a result, more shots come his way, and he performs poorly when that happens. How can both Trochowski and CR7 score the exact same goal against him in back-to-back matches?

The guy ships in some really elementary goals.

Stealthy:
Sorry I have to disagree with you. We over-state the "Barca system" sometimes. Any decent keeper will do well where they go - it's not like Barca goalkeepers are required to have their hands tied behind their backs.

The same thought process you have above is when people say "it's difficult to find a CB who fits in the Barca system". But notice how many players who didn't grow up in the Barca system, yet managed to succeed in Barca: Ronaldinho, Deco, Etoo, Yaya Toure, Abidal, Alves, Mascherano, Villa, Zambrotta, Marquez, Giuly, Henrik Larsson, etc.

I think the "they cannot succeed in the Barca system" statement is just an excuse for the club not to buy players most times.

LOL. Of course that statement is absolute bollocks.
Actually that quote was invented by fans and journalists. It's never been uttered by any coach of the club.
Tito himself confessed that they planned to buy a center-back, then Keita left, and they wanted to buy some muscle to replace him. Song had a great previous season, is from Arsenal (another possession and passing side), and is physical. Hopefully he could play center back as well. That's why they bought him. And he has not done absolutely badly so far. Just that he isn't a center-back, and shouldn't be playing that position for Barca. Shikena.

Let them play Bartra. Montoya has been pretty decent so far. In fact, he hasn't done worse than Alves defensively. Maybe not so confident in attack, but certainly not so bad in defence.

AjanleKoko:

Just that he isn't a center-back, and shouldn't be playing that position for Barca. Shikena.

Let them play Bartra. Montoya has been pretty decent so far. In fact, he hasn't done worse than Alves defensively. Maybe not so confident in attack, but certainly not so bad in defence.

I agree with you.

And I feel that we'll soon see Bartra. I guess Tito was waiting for CDR to start and use him there to gain the experience, but Puyol & Pique got injured and he feels it's better to stick in Song than Bartra, not to wreck the young man's confidence, int he event he makes a defensive blunder that leads to a goal.

Johnpaul88: Falcao scored a stoppage time winner at Real Sociedad through a wonderful free kick to ensure they remain at par with the table topper, Barca and eight points ahead of their big City rival, Real Madrid.
I really wish they can sustain this for much longer and perhaps give us a genuine rivaly at the top outside of Madrid.

Most La Liga fans will like to see a change in La Liga, but I'm sure Atleti will suffer once they need to play consecutive mid-week matches in UEL and CDR. Simeone is doing a good job, but Atleti is as broke as anything - they cannot build on their successes and will sell Falcao in the summer.

But it's a good start and let's hope some balance can shift in la Liga, not necessarily this season but in the next few years.

why not try pinto at this period

a goalkeeper like van der sar of the ajax era is needed in barca . a keeper that is comfortable playing the ball with is leg as well as doing great saves ... casilass and buffon too are not perfect for barca

AjanleKoko:

LOL.
Truth be told, Valdes is only an average keeper. A top-drawer save from him is like a solar eclipse We might not see one in our lives

i dont quite agree.

he is just soo covered by whats in his front his abilities and qualities have and will never fully blossom.

Mcleo007:

Initial gra gra! Soon they'll chicken out and the firepower goes where it used to be.

absolutely what i think too

Are we going to see Masch - Song at CB and JDS as DM since Busi is suspended or maybe Masch - Adriano and Song as DM? I doubt Bartra will have a chance to play in CL.

medjai: Are we going to see Masch - Song at CB and JDS as DM since Busi is suspended or maybe Masch - Adriano and Song as DM? I doubt Bartra will have a chance to play in CL.

It will likely be Masch and Adriano at CB, and Song at DMF. Montoya and Alba at right and left back respectively.
Hopefully the Green Army will be too busy defending. But expect a few good runs at our back line. Any coach will fancy us right now.

For sure, it will be Masche- Adriano (the combination did average against Moudrid)at CB while Song anchors the DMF role. We might just see Bartra unveiled in the second half of the season.