Copa del Rey 1/4 final: Athletic Club - Barca 4-2

[Messi983]

If 11 Basques cosched by a manager Barca sacked are better team than Barca then we are in deep deep shit.

And it's not like it's just Bilbao on this very night. We basically play poor every match.
I can't remember so many bad displays since the early 00's.

Bilbao are not a better team but everything can happen in one game. We usually deal with them in league games but they are extra motivated in CDR.

I don't think we play that poor overall but just inconsistent and lose concentration, especially early in the games when we often concede. Underperforming veterans like Lewy don't help but at least Xavi is starting to take him off in last games which is a step in right direction.

I think we also have too high expectations, this is still a team in our first real season without the amigos. Was never supposed to be easy especially with financial limitations we have.

It's a shame because Copa was winnable with Madrid and Girona out but I'll take this game as a learning experience for kids and move on.

 

[Kul_z]

roque guy barely came here and in his cameos so far he looked like shit tbh.

Team looked tired imo in the 2nd half. And the options from the bench didn't bring much.

His sub kinda elevated our game to overcome betis. His movement gave us something that we dont have in those xavi line ups or how i like to call them fuck ups.

 

[KingLeo10]

No big club will touch him now. Your mate ruined him.

Living rent free in this 's head

 

[Givenchy]

His sub kinda elevated our game to overcome betis. His movement gave us something that we dont have in those xavi line ups or how i like to call them fuck ups.

 

[Barcaman]

Bilbao are not a better team but everything can happen in one game. We usually deal with them in league games but they are extra motivated in CDR.

I don't think we play that poor overall but just inconsistent and lose concentration, especially early in the games when we often concede. Underperforming veterans like Lewy don't help but at least Xavi is starting to take him off in last games which is a step in right direction.

I think we also have too high expectations, this is still a team in our first real season without the amigos. Was never supposed to be easy especially with financial limitations we have.

It's a shame because Copa was winnable with Madrid and Girona out but I'll take this game as a learning experience for kids and move on.

Then we disagree. I just can't wrap my head around an idea that we don't play poor overall.
For me, it's been a horrible season so far in terms of displays.

 

[Porque]

Mallorca also KOd a high flying Girona, with this being their best chance of a trophy too.

So you can lose it In a one-off. And you could also use that to question Michel as a solution as this year Copa was a golden opportunity for them like Osasuna, Alaves and others of recent.

Bilbao away is always difficult and we had a very good first 45. My thing on Xavi was that we were too slow to adapt in the second.

It was the same with the home Liga Madrid tie.

Habitual issues in big games. Sets up well but doesn't adapt in game if needed to shift momentum and not maintain.

Maybe he needed an experienced or tactical mind by his side. But alas, too late now.

 

[KingLeo10]

With the way this "defense" and "midfield" look versus any decent - good team, a Napoli elimination by a goal or two is a must.

Otherwise, we will see some really ugly scorelines in the QF. Xavi has lost control of this team.

 

[JamDav1982]

Araujo, Kounde and even Balde are just so far off the level of what Barca players should be playing out from back it is ridiculous.

That and lack of pace up top is allowing well drilled teams to smother Barca and press high up with success.

Then beat that press and break with what? Pedri? That is not his game and he is that dynamic AM.

 

[Birdy]

With the way this "defense" and "midfield" look versus any decent - good team, a Napoli elimination by a goal or two is a must.

Otherwise, we will see some really ugly scorelines in the QF. Xavi has lost control of this team.

Yup, one of the few things i agree with KL
Xavi has to play it clever there and fight but lose marginally to Napoli.
Imagine playing against City, Arsenal, Bayern, PSG, Inter for QF.
What would the aggregate look like? 8-2 or so?
Let alone that drawing Madrid and suffering a European humiliation against them is also a possibility

 

[Kul_z]

Bilbao are not a better team but everything can happen in one game.

There are too much "everything can happen in one game" games already under xavi. Getting goals in first minutes is something that we mastered under xavi. I did a fast review through seasons and the truth is we conceded under xavi more goals in first 5 minutes then in last 10 years. Let that sink in.

 

[JamDav1982]

Ach well.

There is no fucking way this squad can compete in 3 competitions and Bilbao are a good side.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Mallorca also KOd a high flying Girona, with this being their best chance of a trophy too.

So you can lose it In a one-off. And you could also use that to question Michel as a solution as this year Copa was a golden opportunity for them like Osasuna, Alaves and others of recent.

Bilbao away is always difficult and we had a very good first 45. My thing on Xavi was that we were too slow to adapt in the second.

It was the same with the home Liga Madrid tie.

Habitual issues in big games. Sets up well but doesn't adapt in game if needed to shift momentum and not maintain.

Maybe he needed an experienced or tactical mind by his side. But alas, too late now.

We don't perform in these high pressure important games because most of the time it is actually us taking advantage of opponents lack of focus. Our advantage over teams is usually desire and intensity and it gets taken away from us when teams are prepared and up for the fight, meaning we have to actually outmatch them tactically or technically.

How many games this season have we won by just throwing numbers forward in desperation with last minute goals? I actually went back and counted at some point... I think it's 10 now we won after the 80th minute or something, literally by just flooding numbers forward in desperation and everyone running like mad men. Its lowest common denominator tactics that get exposed against focused and prepared opposition.

It was the same last season as well. We won many games at the death with opponent missing chances and crumbling in the last minutes, just purely psychological stuff that has nothing really to do with the game.

Weak teams with average players may suffer against this but basic things like that don't score goals against the top sides.

 

[Barcelonista001]

our issue is midfield and defense
Not just the attacking
We need to change the formation to either 442 or 451
As much i want xavi to stay, but he was supposed to be replaced before this 😪

 

[malvolio]

Funny how some guys in here are still in the denial phase. Season over in January and it was coming since October.

If you look at player threads one might think that everything is all right. Midfield is world class, Araujo is best defender ever in LL, Ferran is great bar his finishing, youngsters are flying etc.

All this while we look like a drunk team waiting for a decisive blow to put us to sleep for good. That basically came last night as we don't look to win LL and CL will turn into another humiliation.

 

[kilian]

Season is not over. We are still competing for two most important titles. But we need to be realistic and understand that this team with Xavi does not have what it takes to go all the way in CL and LaLiga is a possibility only if Madrid starts fucking up and refs stop pushing them in 50-50 games.