Firstly, I think the most beautiful thing about football is that a team playing the way Chelsea did last night is still able to win a match. That's what really separates it from other major sports - in most the best performers/ talents/ teams generally come out on top because there are so many more chances to score.
Secondly, I don't want to rehash what ccshopland has articulated really well, but Barcelona's way of playing bores the bejesus out of me too. Years ago before the back pass rule I used to watch Liverpool do similar things - they'd keep the ball in the back four and the keeper for freaking ages to take the sting out of a match, and to give their players a chance to rest. Personally, I don't see what Barca do as being all that much different.
Sometimes they string a beautiful move together, and score a great goal. But the vast, VAST, majority of time they 'recycle possession' which is a polite term for pass it backwards to the defence and start again. They had 72% possession in the two matches, and yet only managed a bit over twice as many shots on target. Of course it's impressive that they can play a variety of passes over 10 yards and their movement is great to always give options - but I don't find it fun. Or interesting, or exciting.
I've said this before when (admittedly often when bitter at having seen a team I wanted to win be beaten by them) but Barca basically bore teams to death. They force you to defend their meaningless possession, and when you finally get a bit complacent, then they try to beat the offside trap witha through ball. From the highlights/ press coverage you'd think they'd peppered poor Petr Cech and he had the game of his life. He didn't.
Last night was a great example of direct vs indirect football. In the second half Chelsea had Kalou through on goal, a wide open Ivanovic header and of course Torres' goal. Other than Cesc's dive and Messi's shot, Barca didn't create better chances. So as 'beautiful' as their possession football is, it didn't lead to goal creating chances.
I'm not saying that Stoke's approach is the right one, but I genuinely find the more cut and thrust teams (like current Madrid, Chelsea in 05/06, Arsenal in 00's, United most of the time) way more exciting to watch. There tend to be more chances and more variety in play.
Finally, if Barca fans/ neutrals are confused as to why their is such an anti-Barca sentiment, for me it's simple. I love football. I love good football. So when Barca of Ronaldinho era popped up looking unplayable, I loved it. They were fun, seemed nice enough and still tore it up. But I've watched Barca enough in important matches to know that they have been explicitly told to tactically cheat. It's how they rest, how they are able to press the way they do. And worse, despite all that talent and all that achievement their are outrageously self-righteous. Everytime you touch one of them they're demanding a yellow. Anytime you try to bring in the physical game they demand special protection of their 'special team'. Basically, anytime you don't show up and play the way Barcelona play, you are not playing football. It's hyperbole, it's boring and it's not true.
Barca should be the most loved team in the world. They have loveable Messi, reasonably loveable Pep and their most direct competitino has Mourinho, Pepe and Ronaldo. But I don't respect the way they play the sport, so f*ck em, I enjoy seeing their self-rightous asses sitting on the pitch wondering where it went wrong.
Secondly, I don't want to rehash what ccshopland has articulated really well, but Barcelona's way of playing bores the bejesus out of me too. Years ago before the back pass rule I used to watch Liverpool do similar things - they'd keep the ball in the back four and the keeper for freaking ages to take the sting out of a match, and to give their players a chance to rest. Personally, I don't see what Barca do as being all that much different.
Sometimes they string a beautiful move together, and score a great goal. But the vast, VAST, majority of time they 'recycle possession' which is a polite term for pass it backwards to the defence and start again. They had 72% possession in the two matches, and yet only managed a bit over twice as many shots on target. Of course it's impressive that they can play a variety of passes over 10 yards and their movement is great to always give options - but I don't find it fun. Or interesting, or exciting.
I've said this before when (admittedly often when bitter at having seen a team I wanted to win be beaten by them) but Barca basically bore teams to death. They force you to defend their meaningless possession, and when you finally get a bit complacent, then they try to beat the offside trap witha through ball. From the highlights/ press coverage you'd think they'd peppered poor Petr Cech and he had the game of his life. He didn't.
Last night was a great example of direct vs indirect football. In the second half Chelsea had Kalou through on goal, a wide open Ivanovic header and of course Torres' goal. Other than Cesc's dive and Messi's shot, Barca didn't create better chances. So as 'beautiful' as their possession football is, it didn't lead to goal creating chances.
I'm not saying that Stoke's approach is the right one, but I genuinely find the more cut and thrust teams (like current Madrid, Chelsea in 05/06, Arsenal in 00's, United most of the time) way more exciting to watch. There tend to be more chances and more variety in play.
Finally, if Barca fans/ neutrals are confused as to why their is such an anti-Barca sentiment, for me it's simple. I love football. I love good football. So when Barca of Ronaldinho era popped up looking unplayable, I loved it. They were fun, seemed nice enough and still tore it up. But I've watched Barca enough in important matches to know that they have been explicitly told to tactically cheat. It's how they rest, how they are able to press the way they do. And worse, despite all that talent and all that achievement their are outrageously self-righteous. Everytime you touch one of them they're demanding a yellow. Anytime you try to bring in the physical game they demand special protection of their 'special team'. Basically, anytime you don't show up and play the way Barcelona play, you are not playing football. It's hyperbole, it's boring and it's not true.
Barca should be the most loved team in the world. They have loveable Messi, reasonably loveable Pep and their most direct competitino has Mourinho, Pepe and Ronaldo. But I don't respect the way they play the sport, so f*ck em, I enjoy seeing their self-rightous asses sitting on the pitch wondering where it went wrong.
