CL: Barca - PSG 1-2

jamrock said:

Xavi played 4222 in his last two seasons and 433 in the first.

If we play a 433, we need a player who can play single pivot every few of those around, and de jong maybe able to play CM now In that system has he's matured, but he's never played well for us in a 433.

Wether it is at DM and CM

With koeman it was a different system, under Xavi he started playing well in the 4222 and with flick it's 4231

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That is a lie.

Frenkie was Barcas best midfielder in the run up to the formation change in title winning season in the 433 and he was best midfielder in Xavis run of form the previous season when beat Real 4-0 in Bernabeu etc.

Was far ahead of likes of Gavi.

In Koemans season Frenkie played CB, DM, CM, B2B and was Barcas best player after Messi. Should really have won the double.

The main reason for the defeat was a complete lack of physicality and fittness . Compared to PSG's players, Barcelona's players looked like juniors. Yamal and Rushford were particularly hopeless, playing for themselves and preferring circus performances over teamwork. No long-range shots. by midfielders . Barca needs a "strong" number six (a la Bousquets). Maybe it would have been better to play Garcia higher up, who can fight, and bring in Arajuo in defense.

The issue with Araujo in defence is that Kounde and Gerard are already shite under pressure from the back and adding Araujo just makes it worse.

Be as well playing him to fucking just run and up and down right hand side and try to smash Mendes.

Barcaman said:

That's it. Said yesterday that we couldn't match their intensity.
PSG has deeper bench and more athletic squad overall and some of our players couldn't, or wouldn't, give 100%.
Has to be said PSG can afford to take it easier in their league and go all in for these matches.

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Seriously you're gonna pull Xavi's and Harmorim's "intensity" arguments to deflect from the real elephant, style of play and tactics. Vit was giving about 65% from his usual intensity which is the right thing to do when not recovered fully. Martin's adrenaline was pumping trying to stave off real footballers, granted creampie was kinda stoned but that's the norm for him so can't use that as an excuse either.

You know both teams were more motivated for this match than any other this season so far.

Masetro10 said:

Very soon Chelsea is going to be an even better version of what PSG is doing.

They will basically be injury proof for the most part. They just lack the top end talent so far. All it takes is them hitting on a couple of forwards out of the 20 they have bought and it's basically over for everyone in the EPL at the very least.

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Nah, the competition in the EPL will always be fierce (relatively given how MC have dominated) because everyone has the TV moneys and rich owners in that league. In France, Monaco are a selling club

It's confirmed: Next match vs Olympiakos Piräus will be in Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

I'm still livid with this loss. I have read some comments about how it would have been unfair to win this match given our underwhelming showing. Well, f that. Against this lot, I would have celebrated a scrappy win even if it came on the back of our worst performance of the season. But this team is soft, and so is the fanbase. Now their team is lauded to high heavens while Barca has devolved into an afterthought.

I also don't agree that a full PSG XI would have beaten Barca more comprehensively. For one, when variables change for one team, so does for the other. Its possible Flick approaches the game slightly differently, or that the team wouldn't have slacked after 30 mins or that greater attacking impetus on their part would have afforded more offensive transitions to our team.

Lastly I have nothing to add that hasn't already been said, except it would have been perhaps worth bringing Lamine off the bench. For one, he wasn't fully match fit and as much as he's a weapon going forward, he's not going provide any defensive shift to ward off Mendes' influence, which only grew as the match went on.
All in all, it was a night to forget even if we were playing with 10 men against a slightly weak QSG.

A lot of what I'm reading here sounds a lot like the Newcastle game

Except we are now Newcastle, lol. Sad when you think about it.

We lack a reference point to make the ball stick in attack.

Often against teams who press very hard, it can be difficult even with ideal tactics, sometimes you need an attacker who can play with his back to goal and collect long passes.

Against very intense pressing like that having a striker who can fight and shield the ball when the team goes long can provide a quick exit route, and help keep the team high up the pitch.

Ferran is a great striker, but he is about mobility and doesn't have this side of his game. Lewandowski had it as a player, but as he gets older he is less effective in duels, of course.

Having more of a 'warrior' up front would be good.

Finishing needs to be clinical going forward, especially against the top teams. Selfishness is another issue aswell especially with Lamine.

jairzinho said:

Finishing needs to be clinical going forward, especially against the top teams. Selfishness is another issue aswell especially with Lamine.

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I am glad that you said this. Blindly staring at the "perfection" of Yamal, Raphinha and Rashford, one fails to see how selfishly they often play........