Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:21 pm  

Anybody watch Madrid vs. Barca last night? Watched it in spells. From what I could gather, Barca were again superior to Madrid, making football look easy whilst Madrid had to run themselves to the ground for the slightest of chances. Is Pepe the most stupid defender of all time? He has plenty of ability, but I don't think I've ever seen a good defensive performance from him, whilst his inability to control his temper is a glaring weakness. If the Spanish FA had balls, they'd chuck a ban at him, but they probably won't.

I know Madrid are top of La Liga, but I cringe when I watch them play Barca, and I cringe even more when people like Guillem Balague try to defend Jose Mourinho after another defeat to Barca. Madrid are above Barca, but they are vastly inferior IMO, watching them last night whilst the game was 1-1, at home, was pretty embarrassing. Each Madrid defender/player was taking it in turns to just kick lumps out of the Barca players, whilst the Madrid players are embarrassing when it comes to play acting. Pepe never got touched near his face last night but he went down screaming on the floor, di Maria is a regular when it comes to this too. Carvalho could have walked for both of those tackles at the end but only received a yellow, whilst Pepe's stamp has to go down as one of the most pathetically cowardice acts ever seen. Just like that time when he was kicking that player on the floor, the fella is an absolute joke, he's the type of player I'd enjoy seeing injured, purely because of his attitude towards opposition players.

I've not read any of the pressers after it, I'd love to see what Mourinho has said. Would winning the league be a big enough consolation for Madrid when it's glaringly obvious that Barca are a much better team? Madrid's squad depth will win them the league, but, IMO, Barca's superiority in head-to-head matches will always take the shine off Madrid winning the league.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:26 pm  

Roddy B wrote:

Anybody watch Madrid vs. Barca last night? Watched it in spells. From what I could gather, Barca were again superior to Madrid, making football look easy whilst Madrid had to run themselves to the ground for the slightest of chances. Is Pepe the most stupid defender of all time? He has plenty of ability, but I don't think I've ever seen a good defensive performance from him, whilst his inability to control his temper is a glaring weakness. If the Spanish FA had balls, they'd chuck a ban at him, but they probably won't.

I know Madrid are top of La Liga, but I cringe when I watch them play Barca, and I cringe even more when people like Guillem Balague try to defend Jose Mourinho after another defeat to Barca. Madrid are above Barca, but they are vastly inferior IMO, watching them last night whilst the game was 1-1, at home, was pretty embarrassing. Each Madrid defender/player was taking it in turns to just kick lumps out of the Barca players, whilst the Madrid players are embarrassing when it comes to play acting. Pepe never got touched near his face last night but he went down screaming on the floor, di Maria is a regular when it comes to this too. Carvalho could have walked for both of those tackles at the end but only received a yellow, whilst Pepe's stamp has to go down as one of the most pathetically cowardice acts ever seen. Just like that time when he was kicking that player on the floor, the fella is an absolute joke, he's the type of player I'd enjoy seeing injured, purely because of his attitude towards opposition players.

I've not read any of the pressers after it, I'd love to see what Mourinho has said. Would winning the league be a big enough consolation for Madrid when it's glaringly obvious that Barca are a much better team? Madrid's squad depth will win them the league, but, IMO, Barca's superiority in head-to-head matches will always take the shine off Madrid winning the league.

I managed to catch a little bit. Barca won the posession battle 73% to 27%.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:31 pm  

Roddy B wrote:

I've not read any of the pressers after it, I'd love to see what Mourinho has said. Would winning the league be a big enough consolation for Madrid when it's glaringly obvious that Barca are a much better team? Madrid's squad depth will win them the league, but, IMO, Barca's superiority in head-to-head matches will always take the shine off Madrid winning the league.

Don't talk soft lad. As if anyone at Madrid would be bothered if they lost every game to Barca but still won the league.

I'm sure if you told LFC fans they'd lose to Man Utd and Everton twice but win the league you think they'd be gutted?

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:41 pm  

Roddy B wrote:

Madrid's squad depth will win them the league, but, IMO, Barca's superiority in head-to-head matches will always take the shine off Madrid winning the league.

Nah. It might take the gloss off for you but speaking as a fan who has seen his team lose to Wigoon and still win the league, I can tell you the latter was far better and didn't take any gloss off whatsoever lol.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:07 pm  

Roddy B wrote:

Would winning the league be a big enough consolation for Madrid when it's glaringly obvious that Barca are a much better team? Madrid's squad depth will win them the league, but, IMO, Barca's superiority in head-to-head matches will always take the shine off Madrid winning the league.

Does this drivel apply to your CL win?

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 4:14 pm  

Fresh Prince of Chesh-air wrote:

Don't talk soft lad. As if anyone at Madrid would be bothered if they lost every game to Barca but still won the league.

I'm sure if you told LFC fans they'd lose to Man Utd and Everton twice but win the league you think they'd be gutted?

Winning the league in England is a bit different though. If we won the league, but we lost home and away to United, Chelsea, City, Arsenal and Tottenham, I'd be pleased we'd won the league, of course, but I wouldn't doubt anybody who said we were just flat track bullies. Spain is a two team league, only two sides compete and only two sides matter, it's often been the case that the winner of the classicos is the winner of the league. I still think Barca will win it, I was just wondering how Madrid would take it, as there is still a clear distance between them when they meet, which to me, would bother Madrid fans and Mourinho. Madrid and Mourinho are very egotistical, even when they are beaten by Barca they try and find some kind of moral high ground to take, it eats away at them that Barca are better and I don't think they'd be as pleased with winning the league if they don't beat Barca at least once.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:26 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

Does this drivel apply to your CL win?

Don't be daft, you know that they were the best team in the Cl that year.....

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:41 pm  

Mark wrote:

Used to be a New Balance warehouse on Woolston Grange. Is it still there?

Don't think so. They have offices on Centre Park though, just past the Village.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:42 pm  

100% Wire wrote:

Don't be daft, you know that they were the best team in the Cl that year.....

The beauty of our CL win was that we were nowhere near the best side in Europe, we just had an outstanding run and were managed by a world class coach. We beat Leverkusen, Juve, Chelsea and Milan on penalties, well, we drew with Milan and won on pen's. With us, we knew we were inferior to many sides that year, that's why it made us so special. With Madrid, there's no fairytale if they win the league, they're expected to win the league every year, beating Barca isn't just three points, it's overcoming an inferiority complex with their most hated rival. If they won the league, they'd deserve immense credit, of course they would, but they still wouldn't have 'overcome' Barca, IMO.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:56 pm  

Barca have won the league for the last 3 seasons, they've won the CL twice in that time. It's not about overcoming Barca, it's about stemming the tide. If Madrid win the title after losing to Barca twice in the league, anybody associated wih Madrid who feels the title has been diminished because of losing to Barca would need a good slap.

If Barca were to take the CL, especially with a win over Real along the way, then the title win would be diminished slightly. But Barca doing the double over them in the league would be as relevant as Liverpool doing the double over United when they took the league.

You say there's no fairytale if Real win the league, that it is expected. But half the world is jacking themselves off over Barca every week and acclaiming them as one of the best sides ever. To win the title over them is a big deal IMO.