Lliga | Round 21: FC Barcelona - Athletic Bilbao 3-0

Pepfan

New member
We were poor in first half but scored two goals that's football. As pep said, scoresheet doesn't always reflects performances. Nevertheless job done, that's important.
 

Barcaman

Administrator
Staff member
Lucho:

"A game against Athletic is never comfortable. We tried to overcome the high pressing they did to us. We found spaces and the goals made us more relaxed, while it seemed to bother them. Then their physical level dropped."

"We're happy with the result, to see that the squad is competitive and also that we were able to make some rotations. We won three fantastic points."
 

kilian

Senior Member
Lucho:

" We tried to overcome the high pressing they did to us. "

He just repeats the same sentences after every game, yet does nothing about it.
[MENTION=21233]JerseyAddict[/MENTION]

Good post. I agree with everything you said.
 

Neeraj

Senior Member
What a pathetic brand of football Lucho is exposing us to, with the world's best players at his fingertips. I cannot wait for him to leave at the end of the season; hopefully he has not destroyed our football style beyond short term repair.

Every time he prepares for a game, does he just do the same thing over and over, but with different players? Our build up right now - keep passing back to keeper every time anybody but Messi or Neymar receives the ball, all the way back to MATS, who will then play risky passes a to our defenders, who then mess up enough times to give the opposition a clear chance on goal. It's quite embarrassing and absolutely horrendous to watch.

If we cannot play out that way, why oh why can we not maintain a compact shape with a 4-3-3 when the ball is at the back, with the full backs at the back rather than at the halfway line; we basically start with a default 2-5-3, it's just so unbelievably stupid that this "coach" cannot see this isn't going to work.

It's all well and good to say "Yeah we did the job and had rotations", but it's not like we played with any semblance of fluidity or a plan, so really, no, this is NOT enough.
 
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Asylum15

Senior Member
Watched the game again this morning.

We should have been 2-0 after 10 minutes. It's all fine and dandy getting away with it versus Bilbao, when a player like Raul Garcia is gifted such a chance for example, but fast forward to the CL tie, and gift the same chance to Cavani and co, and we will find ourselves 2 away goals down.

I too feel Enrique's time is finished. We have such a vulnerable team to high pressure now, and Leo won't bail us out forever.
 

Messi983

Senior Member
Watched the game again this morning.

We should have been 2-0 after 10 minutes. It's all fine and dandy getting away with it versus Bilbao, when a player like Raul Garcia is gifted such a chance for example, but fast forward to the CL tie, and gift the same chance to Cavani and co, and we will find ourselves 2 away goals down.

I too feel Enrique's time is finished. We have such a vulnerable team to high pressure now, and Leo won't bail us out forever.


You mean this guy?

[youtube]sBaZxVkMkZI[/youtube]
 

El Flaco

Active member
You mean this guy?

[youtube]sBaZxVkMkZI[/youtube]

Every striker has had his fair share of bottling easy chances tbh...

Two weeks ago, Cavani was the 1st player in Europe's top leagues to score 20 league goals this season and no one else has done it yet atm.

He's also top scorer in WC-qualifers in South America and 2nd top scorer in CL next to Messi this season.
 

Messi983

Senior Member
Every striker has had his fair share of bottling easy chances tbh...

Two weeks ago, Cavani was the 1st player in Europe's top leagues to score 20 league goals this season and no one else has done it yet atm.

He's also top scorer in WC-qualifers in South America and 2nd top scorer in CL next to Messi this season.

I'm not saying he's not a good forward just that he can easily miss even better chances that we gave up to Bilbao. Of course he'd probably score most of those chances against us because that's just how it usually is. People keep scoring against us but when they play RM they miss sitter after sitter. It's time we finally get Lady Luck on our side in CL as well.
 

TrueCule

Member
Watched the game again this morning.
I too feel Enrique's time is finished. We have such a vulnerable team to high pressure now, and Leo won't bail us out forever.

I don't think that we can complain about Lucho (yet). Just a reminder: we're still in a very good position to win the treble. We're with one leg and a half in the final of the Copa, we're the favorites to win the CL and we eventually will close the gap against Real in La liga in the end of the season. We won on Calderon last week which is one of the most difficult away fixtures in the world. We're increasing our form from match to match and I believe that we will show our best matches on the end of the season when it will matter the most.
Visca el Barca!
 

Asylum15

Senior Member
I don't think that we can complain about Lucho (yet). Just a reminder: we're still in a very good position to win the treble. We're with one leg and a half in the final of the Copa, we're the favorites to win the CL and we eventually will close the gap against Real in La liga in the end of the season. We won on Calderon last week which is one of the most difficult away fixtures in the world. We're increasing our form from match to match and I believe that we will show our best matches on the end of the season when it will matter the most.
Visca el Barca!

I don't think that we can complain about Lucho (yet). Just a reminder: we're still in a very good position to win the treble. We're with one leg and a half in the final of the Copa, we're the favorites to win the CL and we eventually will close the gap against Real in La liga in the end of the season. We won on Calderon last week which is one of the most difficult away fixtures in the world. We're increasing our form from match to match and I believe that we will show our best matches on the end of the season when it will matter the most.
Visca el Barca!

1. We're in a good position to win the treble.

I'll come back to this.

2. We're the favourites to win the CL.

I don't agree at all. We're poor in numerous positions, and quite frankly I'm blue in the face from reading/discussing these shortcomings. We have been lucky in numerous games to not be behind due to defensive errors especially due to high pressure by the opponents, such as the last game against Bilbao. Our midfield has looked lost during the season due to too many rotations (Enrique's doing), and players off form/lack of ability. These include Vidal, Gomes, D.Suarez, Rafinha, Rakitic, Busquets, L.Suarez, and Neymar. Enrique's substitutions boggle the mind week upon week, seemingly taking us from positions of control, to positions of vulnerability, eg Atletico last week, Rakitic coming off changed the game for us. Iniesta has had a stop/start season and as our best midfielder we suffer without him. I remember a few years ago, teams DARED press us high because we'd destroy them, but that has been completely turned upside down this year and when the opposition has been on their game, we've looked average, such as Celta away earlier in the year in La Liga. Neymar is not contributing enough goals this year, and Suarez has been woeful at times, especially with his link up play being so sloppy. Leo has carried us through key moments since September, and while he is so good as to almost carry us to a final, or semi final, we need to improve significantly in all areas, and re-instill the fear into our opponents that we had in 2015. The only thing on our side is that no side in Europe currently makes me think they are 'way ahead' of everyone else. Real are average, and have a soft core, we can all see it week on week, Atletico have fallen off massively, but over two legs they are always dangerous, Bayern have gotten form back in the league, but suffered a poor start, yet they ARE growing as the season is unfolding, and the rest are the rest. PSG are capable of beating us if we don't improve, possibly knocking us out.

1. We're in a good position to win the treble.

Back to this. Tonight could go completely against us, as we know Atletico will make things VERY difficult for us. Unless Enrique changes his mentality with team selection/substitutions, and our front 3 really come into life not just individually but collectively (Messi aside), I don't see us in a ''very good position,'' currently.

Realist, not pessimist.
 
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