mystic eddie wrote:
Time for a reality check for all the blinkered Madridista on here.
OK, the disallowed goal may have been the incorrect decision, however, so were the decisions not to send off Carvalho, Alonso, Diarra and Adebayor who were just completely out of control. In fact, in the second half, Pedro was booked for trying to take out Diarra (i think it was). However, just after Marcelo was carded the ref ignored him doing exactly the same thing that he later booked Pedro for.
Sure there was some diving and some of it was unacceptable I agree but if Madrid have an issue with it then you would think they would try their best to deny Barca players the chance to "cheat" by cutting out the continued dirty play that defines them as a side.
Thing is, you have to protect the skillful players, that's a first. Nobody on this planet would want to see Messi finished in a Van Basten style way at say 28. He's here for our enjoyment, so I've no problems whatsoever with officials being extra vigilant in that respect. I don't want to watch someone kick lumps out of Iniesta, I want to see him get his head up and do that ...
There's just something at times that doesn't sit right with me, not just that 'El Classico', you just see things in football that doesn't seem right. Mascherano trying to get Diarra sent off, c'mon, he fulfills the exact same job as you Javier, you know better than most in that combative role the tightrope he walks every game in trying to battle with these immensely skillful little blokes who run rings around you like, but instead he's on the floor clutching his leg, rolling & rolling around when Diarra made a good, honest strong block tackle.
Madrid are crap. They're just a team of individuals, they work hard enough when not in posession like all Mourinho sides, they are capable of moments of brilliance but they don't move off the ball anywhere near enough to be a top side - it all looks a little obvious at times. It's no surprise to me that the two teams who will play out the final have the best movement off the ball in European football and United have got better at this with the addition of Hernandez.
It took Mourinho a year at Inter, it also took him to play a blinder in the transfer market after Year 1, selling Ibrahimovic for about £600,000,000 and getting Eto'o in exchange. Also stealing Schneider from Madrid and getting Milito. It will need another solid summer of dealings to take that team from also ran's to CL glory, if he/they decide he gets the second year.
