₦airaland Forum

Jodera:
To be sincere, I don't see how defence would have stopped that....

Gomez for no reason considering the midfield were right there, decided that he was going to gravitate towards the ball leaving llorente completely unmarked and Arnold completely switched off just jogging to cover the unmarked Llorente. If they were alert immediately Adrian made the pass they would have done something.

Jodera:
Lol...
Bros, how many touches did it take from Felix boot to the back of the net?

The defence could easily have stopped that. It was not a De Gea mistake vs Everton or Pickford vs Liverpool.

Jodera:
they have less than 15m to play for. Not that they'll be going to penalties, it's just two options, either they're out or athletico will be out. They've to go all gung-ho for it, since nothing to lose.
This is just the case of Chelsea-barca 2012. Towards the end all barca players attacked since they've nothing to lose freeing Torres. That goal was really deflating enough

Deflecting or not if Liverpool had scored one goal and qualified none of you will be blaming Adrian. Liverpool will definitely go into the match knowing Atletico has the ability to score at anytime so they should have been mentally prepared. When Liverpool scored first, Atletico/ Simeone didn't panic because they knew beforehand it was a scenario that was possible. And Adrian made a bad pass 30 to 40meters away from the Goalpost. The defense could have cleaned up the mistake if they were alert.

Jodera:
Everyone makes a mistake, but there's a mistake more costly than others. And this was costly enough.
At 2-0, they were in next round mode, at 2-1, it's really deflating. Not because they scored a normal goal, but a goal everyone knows can easily be avoided. If that no fit change plans, I dunno what else will.

Liverpool knew right from the start Atletico had the capability to score one goal so they would have prepared for that scenario. It doesn't matter if it was by mistake or genius play.

Jodera:
It's not cheap, it's the truth.

If it was only one goal they conceded it would have been understandable but they conceded 2 more. Was that on Adrian too?

A40:
Not all mistakes are created equal. This was an egregious Kariusesque mistake that you don't game plan from and the other team does not realistically hope to get.

Liverpool missed chances but as at when the error was made Liverpool were advancing to the next round. You don't know how deflating it can be for your goalkeeper to ruin the hard work of everyone else.

Kepa has not made half an error like that in a high stakes game and yet you people are always on his throat

Still at 2:1 - taking into account the keeper’s mistake, - Liverpool were in the game and had enough time to have forced the issue. They didn’t. Instead they folded like a house of cards. Where is the winners mentality you have been telling us about? So it was not just the keeper but the entire team.

Jodera:
this is really the summary of the match. That mistake just set all Liverpool players in panic mode

This is honestly a cheap excuse to put all the blame on Adrian.

Jodera:
I don't see who to blame if not Adrian. Not like a shot was mishandled (which I agree, any keeper makes). But he was been passed the ball to, and he gave a very careless pass, wen he could have been calm, not like they're trailing sef.

Also, I don't see any of Mane's bicycle kick that's a wrong decision. Yes none was on target, but the instance of decision wasn't a wrong one. Also, I want to assume we watched different Chamberlain yesterday

A bad pass is a mistake. Everybody makes a bad pass from time to time. Adrian Cost you less than your attackers. He Kept a clean sheet for 90mins while Liverpool were wasting chances. Atlético also scored 2 more goals than they needed to which is none of Adrian faults. At 2:1 Liverpool could still score one and go ahead. Putting it on him would be shortsighted and cheap.

A40:
Adrian the Iberian Karius happened.

Football is a game of mistakes but by no means is it solely Adrian'a fault.
Liverpool didn't finish their chances and Oblak had a monstrous performance. You can't attribute the defeat to one player when you have Sadio Mane attempting stupid bicycle kicks, Firmino performing like crap and Chamberlain shooting for no reasons.

Cc A40

What happened to your greatest team.

Unlimited22:
Did you read where I said generally, men's sports generate more money?

I am talking about U.S men in particular in contrast with their women. Yes the women are more successful yet the men still bring in more revenue so on what basis are they asking to be paid equally?

Unlimited22:
Thing is, the USA women team have a point. They're the best female team in the world and are followed just as massively, if not more than the male team, in a country where 'soccer' is largely seen as a female sport as opposed to more 'manly' games like their brainless brand of 'football', basketball and even Hockey.

They are much more successful than the men's team too, and their following means they make money via ticket sales etc. They have a point.

But as a generalisation in the world, female football just doesn't attract as much a following as male, so it cannot work elsewhere. Especially in Europe, South America and Africa.

No I disagree. The men bring In more revenue despite the women being more successful. It's not a gender issue. Men sport generates more money, therefore they get paid more.

BlueRayDick:
Ọmọ mehn.....This Corona virus is out to ruin everybody's fun.

Imagine if any of the arsenal players was already a carrier against Everton, the way all arsenal players were fraternizing with iwobi is enough to have infected half of that Everton team sef.

I think it's best they just pause the EPL matches like they did in Italy

It's not possible. Not unless someone at Arsenal tests positive within the next 24 hours. They met with the Olympiakos owner 13 days ago and this fixture between Arsenal and City just happens to coincide with it. It's just as a precaution.

Arsenal said earlier that no one at the club has shown symptoms in the last 13 days. So it's nothing

Just waiting for when the Super falcons will sue NFA to court about equal pay like the Us women team are doing.

forever08:
Messi can never play that wing again - he is old.. As a Yoruba I say laye(never)..

Then we have a big problem on our hands if Messi does not have a defined tactical position.

Kimbeast:
Italy has already reported 1,400 new cases and 133 new deaths rising to 366 deaths already. That's a 5% mortality rate in a Western country whose healthcare system is ranked 2nd in the world. God help those in Africa if it becomes very serious there.

Rather those in America if the outbreak gets there because most Americans don't have jobs where staying at home is possible. That's enough doom to any chance of containing the virus.

FirstbornWds:
Let me sarcastic. It's actually that no coach can restrict him from playing free role. Even his days as a false 9 was more of a freestyle type

Messi definitely followed Pep tactical instructions. I won't say he was free under Guardiola and then you look at Enrique first season when Messi was purely a winger damn he was a monster. We had Messi and Neymar destroying both wings. I have never been a fan of Messi having free role and dropping into midfield because it renders one of our wing useless. You either have Messi take a disciplined tactical role or you have an unbalanced team - not both.

ddippset:
When you say somebody else,

I could think of Neymar, Mbappe, De Bryune.

But definitely not Griezman.

Griezmann is very good player and world class. If you look at his matches with France and Atleti, he was all about playing just off the main striker, Giroud, Costa etc. With Barca though his role and movement is different. The spaces and free role he had is not there anymore. That is precisely why he struggles and is generally frustrating in this new role. He is not use properly because his best position is occupied by Messi.


Also I feel Lautaro Martinez will also suffer the same fate. He is another one of those second striker type players. We can't move forward properly until Messi has a defined role and no coach we currently have can restrict Messi.

ddippset:
So if you were to bench or sell one of Messi and Griezman,
Who would it be?

Messi can't be benched or sold. Griezmann will have to suffer being called a flop and a useless signing.

FirstbornWds:
You're beginning to get the point. I am not saying Grizzy is that bad but claiming that his role mismanagement is a major cause of his decline is not overly true.

The problem is the lack of creativeness from the midfield and from our side backs. A constant display of what Alba did tonight during the last 20 minutes will definitely make Griezman a goal beast even from the wings (Remember the pair that led to an off-target shot against Madrid in the Classico), that's what I'm talking about.

You can't shoehorn Griezmann to the wings and expect him to be successful it's the same with Dybala. Those two players are more effective when they are the focal point of a team or at least have free roles. It's the same reason Messi and Dybala can't operate together at Argentina and it's the same reason griezmann won't be effective at barca. I really hope I am wrong

FirstbornWds:
Don't forget France another box-like striker in Mbappe. Truth that Grizzy is being played out of position but I seriously think he's not manning up to the responsibility to be given a free role just yet. He needs to show more class than what he's doing presently.

You don't buy a Ferrari and drive it like a fiat. We have bought strikers before and play them at wingers Henry,villa etc and was successfully because we had every body pressing to win back the ball and a World class midfield under a great tactical coach. Now we don't have that luxury anymore.

FirstbornWds:
Lol. I'll have to disagree with you on this.
It's not really a big deal to be dependent on Messi. He has proven times without number to be more than capable to handle the burden but somehow, I think what we need is a solid team that wouldn't be overly dependent and even they are, it shouldn't be too apparent.

Even Ronaldo at Real Madrid suffered the same fate. The only difference was that they had the players who were "matured" enough to realize immediately when he's having a bad game. That's the same level of team spirit we need for Barcelona.

Phasing out Messi isn't really right yet. We need just more than that.

Age is not on Messi side. We need to start planning ahead and when I mean phase it doesn't mean just drop him out no. We have to try to turn the focal point of the team to somebody else . Try competing at top when midfield have to adapt to a player that cant/wont track back and adapt to the lack of options from players running off ball etc.
Messi when ball in his area is best ever but off the ball he is Barcas biggest weakness in terms of attacking/defending as a unit.

Sociedad targetted our right side all night and we were lucky they did not get more joy from it.

FirstbornWds:
Does he play the same free role in France?

Yes he does. He plays just behind Giroud as a supporting striker and free to roam into pocket of space. Same with when he was at Atletico Madrid.

ddippset:
Where's Messi playing now?

Messi is basically roaming just behind the striker and dropping back when he feels like.

Debroslink:
God forbids that My Barcelona will keep playing #PasstoMessi for the next 4 years.

I need a real coach that will change this useless tactic.

No top coach will entertain the Barca job until the old core are gone and that includes Messi.
Majority of time he is still the best ever on the ball but the balance of the team is completely off as he takes next to no part in a consistent pressing game, doesnt hold a position and doesnt run off ball.
Add that to Suarez, Busi and Pique and as Setien has realised the tactics seem to settle on how Valverde approached it with a bit more pointless passing from the back.

ddippset:
Maybe we just haven't gotten the right next superstar.

Remember MSN?

Wasn't Neymar wreaking havoc on that left wing even with Messi on the pitch?


We've lost Neymar but I could swear that a healthy Dembele would have reduced our Messi dependency significantly.

Several I saw Dembele ignoring Messi and going solo; taking on defences all by himself.

The last time we won champions league we had two wingers in Messi and Neymar causing havoc in both wings and Suarez dragging and bullying defenders. Messi position currently can't allow us play with 2 wingers. Messi has not played on the wing for barca for years now.

ddippset:
Suarez should be phased out then let Griezman play top 9.

Let's see what he will say again.

Griezmann is not a pure striker his best current position is as a supporting striker ala Messi

ddippset:
Hehehehehehehe

Nobody phases out Messi until he turns 37 years old.

But his position is a big problem moving forward. We ideally want to be able to play through both flanks and with a Centre forward. Where will Messi fit in? Messi dropping drop leaves our right flank empty and griezmann is not a winger. Messi cannot longer play as a false 9 so where does he fit in.

ddippset:
That's the problem Exaclty.
As long as Messi and Suarez are in the team, Griezman is useless to us.
Abi is he supposed to displace any of them?

Both are 30+ already. We can not build the team long term with those 2.

haymekus:
You’re a mumu man

Did I insult you?

Eruditor:
And even Messi is noticeably slower. It is a bad strategy to still be depending on him. Like build around someone else so Messi can be free to wreck teams.

Exactly You cannot build a team around a 33 year old Messi any more. Xavi was phased out. Iniesta was phased out. It's time for Barca to contemplate phasing out Messi little by little.

Griezmann is just another Dybala situation to me. They are not compatible because they operate in the same space. If you want griezmann to flourish you give him a free role in the team.