Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!
The scariest thing about this Barca is that they've faced almost every 'great' manager in the game - and come out on top. For all his nastiness, Mourinho is a great tactician, but he clearly can't solve it. Nor could Wenger or Fergie.
It's easy to say when watching from the stands, but the only way to beat Barca imo is just kill the game with your own, boring ass possession. Literally form a back 5, with 3 midfielders in front of it and pass around for 5 minutes at a time, until they back off from their pursuing devilness. I think the biggest mistake teams make against Barca is to try and play quickly on the break the second they get the ball. The only way Barca are able to press for the full 90 is because they rely on having the ball the whole game.
I'd sacrifice trying to score against them in the first half in exchange for tiring the little scamps out.
All that said, I also find it very hard to enjoy watching Barca play. I understand how effective they are, but it's much like the Spanish side at the World Cup. Yes, the dominate possession but they actually create relatively few moments of footballing excitement. They choke the game, bring it to their speed which is generally slow for 3 minutes, fast for 10 seconds. They look amazing from highlight packages, but they'll go 10 minutes, with the ball, without even bothering to try and create a chance. I don't really believe that's what football should be about, as effective as it. The only analogy I can come up with is a pro tennis play constantly playing lob shots to the opponents backhand. It makes them super hard to play against, but man it would ruin the spectacle.
Finally, the other requirement of Barca's defensive tempo is breaking up play. So you have the clearly encouraged diving, rolling, and time-wasting that comes every time I see them. As I've bemoaned many, many times on here - you're the best f*cking team in history, have one of the most expensive squads ever assembled and you STILL have to cheat and act like f*cktards? F*ck right off then. I prefer Milan in the 90's United in 99 and the first Galacticos.
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