₦airaland Forum

ritchboy: How did Barca contrive to throw away a 2-goal lead to ten men?

You actually played better in the first leg where you created a lot of chances, it seems Chelsea bought a bigger bus! The key to unlocking a packed defence is simple: width!

To be fair to Pep he did try to add width with Cuenca and later Tello but neither of them got past their fullback once. A player like Valencia woulda made a real difference.

They kept working the ball wide, winger fails to beat fullback, pass back to Xavi, pass to other wing and on and on, that sequence alone ate up 30 minutes of the match! When your wide players can't dribble Drogba who was shifted to the left then you know you're in trouble.

Messi having his worst game in ages didn't help matters either. I've also noticed Xavi's distribution and overall game has been poor by his standards for a while, time to start blooding Cesc(probably ur best player on the night, critics where una dey? ) for that role ahead of next season IMO.

Speaking of which, I can't believe Pep took out Cesc for Keita and left Puyol(who seemed to be completely unoccupied both offensively and defensively) Busquets and Xavi on. I was expecting a 1-5-4 with Pedro playing a part.

Oh boy u sef see am.
I was so sure Barca would not mmake it with thirty minutes to go that I offered to donate £200 to a chosen charity if they did.
They were absolutrly lost and clueless. Pass to Xavi, Exchange Pass with Busquets, Pass to Iniesta, Back to Xavi, On to the winger, Fails to beat his man, Back to Xavi and the whole sequence starts all over again

The Race for this years FIFA BALLON D'OR is getting ever so interesting.

We all know the winner is always going to be either one of Ronaldo or Messi. Now suppose Real fail to get pass Bayern tomorrow, who do you think would be awarded the the Ballon D'or

AjanleKoko: That depends to a great extent on how many Barca players are in the starting X1 this term. Villa injured, Pique off form, Pedro definitely not making the squad. Most likely Puyol, Busquets, Iniesta, and Xavi, and I doubt if they'll all play together.

Pique would most definiyely start along Puyol. Spain have not got a better central defensive pairing. Pedro would almost certainly make the squad. I don't many better spanish wingers than him. And Xavi,Iniesta and Busquets are guaranteed starters.

Del Bosque should start looking for a plan B if he wants to retain that title. How can a team have 82% but yet fail to create that much clear cut chances? Give say Real 82% possesion and watch them lay siege to chelsea's goal. Not saying Real are the better team but Barca/Spain should stop trying to be Picture Perfect.

coogar: i am not sure you're serious.
scorers tonight were ramirez + torres.

The Old Guards minus Terry were fantastic. The Likes Frank,Drogba,A.Cole and Cech were the glue that held that team together.

Spain should get ready for more of the same in the European Championship. Every team other than Germany would play the same way against them.

I see teams are starting to see the benefits of the much criticised Catenaccio.

Wholly Fully Deserved Chelsea Victory. This performance certainly does eclipse Man united Victory in 1999 @ the delle alpi.

And yet some would want us to believe the OLD GUARDS are past it. Yeah right.

^^^^^LOL @ you thinking that's the real Omawumi.

For all it's worth I can't enough the THANK GOD- Dagrin Feat Omawumi. Dagrin's rap was on point as usual and Mawumi killed it on the chorus.

Time does fly indeed......Feels like yesterday.

Still rock that CEO Album almost on a daily basis. Yet to see a greater Nigerian Rap Album.

R.I.P Akogun aka Fimi sile jor aka Mosofunyi aka Lyrical Were

dayokanu: Abedi went to Torino at 30 and was already past it then

But Abedi at marseille was King and the best African player of the late 80's early 90's

I still remember how he tormented Nigeria at Senegal 92 when Aloy Agu was chasing his glancing header all over the place.

All Nigerian players were clasing Abedi while prince Opoku Polley and Ibrahim Ali were screwing us

Ofcourse he was like most African players are at that age. His best days as we all well know were at O'M. However saying he beasted throughout his stay at Torino is just not true(He had one great season)

You don't see me arguing that he was no the best African player during that period and as I have already stated he is ranked no3 in my list just not ahead of Sammy and Weah.

mikeapollo: Yeah, I would agree that Eto played at the highest level, but I am referring to players that were in an era that was close to or same as that of Abedi/Weah. Eto/Drogba became hits much later after Weah/Abedi have long retired, so I did not compare them.
Please, note that I am not just talking about goal scoring(which grabs all the attention/publicity/awards).Strikers are naturally advantaged in that regard. Eto and Weah were very good strikers who scored a lot of goals, so naturally,they would most probably win more awards(FIFIA encourages goals).
But Abedi was a midfielder who had a knack for scoring incredible wonder goals out of individual brilliance, as if he was a striker. Am talking about overall abilities, including goal scoring,dribble,defending,playmaking,motivating and carrying a team on his shoulders with individual performance....the complete football artistry on the field of play that motivates teams mates for results......
Even at the twilight of his career, he dusted players like Gullit and Baggio when he played against them in the Italian league. He was voted the best foreign player in the Italian league in 1994 when the likes of Gullit, Rikaard etc were playing actively. That was a season before Weah was voted best world player in 1995,

On the first part my bad. I thought you were not only comparing but implying Abedi being far ahead of the likes of Drogba/Eto'o. In which case my point stands. Weah and Eto'o ahead of Abedi.

Not taking anything away from Abedi and his playing achievement. In my books he is the third best African player of all time however he lags behind those two aforementioned players.

Btw, Rijkaard had left Milan for Ajax by the time Abedi signed for Torino. Also If Memory serves me right he had one really good season and another very mediocre one.

coogar: shots on target.
barcelona 3-6 real madrid.

shots of target
barcelona 14-14 real madrid

corners
barcelona 4-7 real madrid.

What has this stat said that we don't already know?...... One team plays direct football whilst also adopting the shoot at sight policy. The other team plays possesion football(70%) with the tendecy to overdo things at times. Which of these two teams do you think would have more shots overall?

Again I ask which Meal?

coogar: the weakest united side ever - still recovering the loss of tevez/ronaldo.
whereas, this real madrid side just made a meal of barcelona @ nou camp.

do you know any front four more potent than
benzema + ronaldo + ozil + di maria/higuain?

Meal?...... Did we watch the same match?

mikeapollo: My friend, stop deceiving yourself.

Anybody that knows and understands football would never put Abedi and Okocha in the same rank. Abedi is far ahead of him.
In modern day soccer, skill,speed, stamina and ability to score and/or create great goals are what stands a player out, especially strikers and midfielders. Maradona, Romario,Messi and Abedi are all noted for these.Do you think Abedi was called to Ghana BlackStars team at the age of 16 for nothing? Rememeber Ghana beats us, so we cannot say their team was a weak team! He was the best rated African footballer by FIFIA from 1990 to 1994, before George Weah was voted WFPOY in 1995. His ball control, speed, dribbles, skills and goal scoring abilities are generally at the highest level. He never played at the world cup, but he is better known, respected and honoured by FIFA president and officials than even other players like Okocha that went to the world cup 3 times. He is better known and recognised by UEFA, CAF, Pele, Beckenbeur, Platini,Maradona, Gullit, etc more than African players that played at the world cup. Can you tell me why?
George Weah is the only African player that played at the level of Abedi's performance. Go watch their exploits in the French League and you would realise that Okocha is a baby when compared to them

You seem very clued up on African football but I have to disagree with this. Drogba and Eto'o have both played at that Level. Eto'o is also IMO the better player in terms of Individual amd Team accomplishment.

Eto'o and Weah are without a shadow of doubt ahead of Abedi

Really don't know why you dudes are moaning and groaning. Madrid beating you lot at the Camp Nou was bound to happen sooner rather than Later. It's simply the law of averages.

ritchboy: Emirates - Etihad, Potato - Potata

Exactly.....Same difference really

coogar: leave them -
when the results start spiralling downwards now, the same set of goats would continue their gnashing of teeth.
it's not like they actually stopped barca last night, sanchez and fabregas especially were wasteful.
they breached the chelsea defence and wasted 5 good chances barca would have buried on another night.
if barca could do it on a small pitch in london, i shudder to think what it would be next week.

Exactly my points.
Granted chelsea put in a very good defensive performance but a great one it definitely wasn't.
They did after all create 5 clear cut opportunities.
If you are looking for a great one check out at Inter at the Nou Camp

AjanleKoko: The Rossoneri man got it spot on.
Poor finishing, especially by Fabregas, cost us tonight. Everything else went according to plan. In a tight game like this, you have to finish the few chances you have.
And we did have some width, Alves and Adriano bossed the flanks. Chelsea did nothing but play with two banks of four, and got back very quickly. Their sole game plan was to defend and hit the long balls out to Drogba, who I must admit was fantastic for them.

I expect they will do the same thing at the Camp Nou. Last time they played there, they got a nil-all scoreline.

Definitely......It cost you dearly tonight.
You did have width but did not make use of it which as I said before is to be expected @ the bridge(tight pitch and all)
At the camp nou it should be different(not saying you would win)providing you start with Pedro and Sanchez.
There should be more space for the likes of Messi and Iniesta to work with. And Xavi to thread his through balls.

Drogba was definitely MOTM. Dude was sublime tonight althought some of his antics did infuriate me.

coogar: they believe in camp nou so much. at the same time, they didn't apply themselves well, probably
because of el classico. you cannot deny that match isn't a distraction to the spanish giants.
well, spain hosts 2 semifinal 2nd legs next week - my money would be on madrid/barca to qualify.

You seem sure about that however I think one, possibly boh sides will fail to make to munich.
All it takes is for Lady Luck to smile on chelsea again and they will be through.
Remember all chelsea needs is an away goal and Barca would need to score 3.

coogar: than messi? he certainly did!
he assisted a goal for feck's sake.


barcelona's last five away games in england as part of the champions league knock-out stages:

Chelsea 1 - 0 Barcelona
Arsenal 2 - 1 Barcelona
Arsenal 2 - 2 Barcelona
Chelsea 1 - 1 Barcelona
Man Utd 1 - 0 Barcelona

you know, i think andy gray was on to something about barca and midweek games in english weather conditions..

That's about all he did last night. To say Ronaldo had a better game is nothing but a joke.

It has nothing to do with midweek games in english weather. Barca are not great away from home. That's all

Mcleo007: We lost this game not because we weren't good but our opponents were worthy. We weren't lucky at all.

A couple note:
1. Xavi is not his usual self anymore
2. Our midfield plays slowly. We need fluidity and grease. When we hold the ball too long, we allow the opponents time and space to organise their defence.
3. Alexis should have been substituted earlier in the second half.
4. Our flanks were under-utilised.
5. Chelsea has luck to thank. They didn't deserve the win just as we didn't deserve to lose neither.
6 the second leg should be different

1) Rubbish. Check the stats Xavi as usual dominated the Midfield. Bad finishing cost you dudes the game tonight.

2)True. I have seen you lot play much faster than that plus it seems the word "SHOOT" is not part of your team's vocabulary. This is football, you can't always score the perfect goal.

3) Would have personally taken him and Fabregas off much earlier. They both should be fined 6 months wages for missing those chances tonight.

4) True but that is to be expected. Stamford is one of the tightest grounds in the league and Chelsea made it even more tighter for this particular game.

5)True. Refer back to No3

6)Not if you keep missing gilt edged opportunities like you did tonight.

coogar: ronaldo assisted a goal last night - he's crap.
messi contributed nothing today - he's god!
football fans are fickle-minded!

Are u saying Ronaldo had a better game last night? How so?

coogar: remember what i said last night about barca-chelsea tie?
they just hate playing chelsea. with drogba diving 5 times per second to
disrupt their flow. it was tedious!

chic2chimp, the 6th placed team in the english league have beaten
spain's finest. should we also conclude la liga is crap? if the
roles are reversed, you continental bigots would say english league is rubbish.

You said nothing new about the Barca-chelsea tie.
It fairly obvious to everyone that they do struggle against sides that park the bus.(Inter Milan and Real in last season's copa)
I guess it's kinda a role reversal for Barca. Getting a little taste of their own medicine.

However said Barca was unbeatable?.....Dude Barca(so called best team ever) have been beaten 5 times in La Liga this season. So it's nothing new
Also I bet you would be hard pressed to find a post of mine calling the EPL crap. All I said it is overhyped and I still stand by that statement.

Wetin I dey hia..........

coogar: fabregas n sanchez have received money from roman.
these chances are unbelievable!

They should both be flogged.

Will someone pls remove those two dudes called Fab and Sanchez

Cesc oh my.........He and sanchez should be flogged 7 times each if Barca don't get a result in this game

timbros: Messi have never scored against Chelsea in all his life and its not about to start tonight. . .

You dudes are funny sha.
First it was Messi does not score against English Teams, then it was never scores with his head. Now it is Messi never scores against chelsea.
I'm sure he will go ahead and make a mockery of that statement you just wrote down there.

ddippset: do you call kaka, ozil, alonso, de maria, khedira, ronaldo, benzema, higuain, marcelo, ramos, pepe, abeloa, cavalho, diarra just quantity? common mann! the only reason i made that comment is that a lot of people like to say stuff like 'ronaldo has scored 40 goals and he is JUST a winger'! very incorrect statement. both ronaldo and messi are forwards, attacker not wingers. messi even drops back much much more to the mid field than ronaldo. the spectacle about messi is that apart from being a prolific goal scorer, he is equally as creative as xavi and iniesta in mid field. and that is the secret of barca's success(MESSI)

Most of the players you mentioned are good players however if the question is are they star quality? Then nope.
Ronaldo and Ozil are. Alonso can be argued is too. Kaka and Carvalho used to be but no longer are. The rest no.
Ronaldo is obviously not your stereotypical touchline hugging wideman but neither is he a N09. You can say he is a Wideforward(ditto for Messi).

Floreat. . . . I well pass u. That I am sure of.

Hehehehe

Shame no dey catch una Gaynners ni?