Hans-Dieter Flick

[Messi983]

Idiot going out the most idiotic way you can, some things never change.

 

[Messi983]

He should learn a thing or two from mister.

 

[serghei]

We could have played more conservative at the end, then Acerbi scores a header instead of a tap in, and we will be asking why did Flick allowed them to do what they wanted.

No defending his management at the end mate. It's a lot harder to score a header in a crowded box than a tap in.

Flick made a collossal error at the end. There's no defending it. Tough pill to swallow. We battered Inter and basically beat ourself. Everyone is to blame for this, the defenders and Flick in particular.

 

[ajnotkeith]

When you face an opponent that have massive advantage physically and in aerial challenges, you have to press high and avoid them spamming crosses at the end, this is what gives you space.

We could have played more conservative at the end, then Acerbi scores a header instead of a tap in, and we will be asking why did Flick allowed them to do what they wanted.

We talked a lot about our fullbacks issues, but here is the harsg truth:

NONE OF OUR CENTERBACKS STEPPED UP IN CL, NONE.

Lots of deserved blame for Araujo, but Cubarsi had bad games against both Benfica and Inter, Inigo was arguably our worst player in both ties,

Inter exposed that in every way. We could argue we could have passed the ball more, but the team is young and we have only one controller in midfield.

In general I agree with most of what you wrote but statistically the chances of scoring against a packed defense is just lower than scoring against a high line when you have a few minutes left. It takes much longer to develop space when you are facing a crowded box and crowded final third.

True about Araujo, Cubarsi and Inigo. Unfortunately they got fried in this tie by Inter players in both legs. The physical weakness of the Inigo Cubarsi duo didn't show too much until now, but now we are seeing it, multiple times they were just getting beaten for strength and pace. Thuram in particular was finding it really really easy to win duels against them over and over.

 

[serghei]

In many ways this is the most a team beat itself in a CL semifinal since Liverpool - Barca in 2019.

 

[ajnotkeith]

About Inter, their striker pair really fucking clowned our defense in this match, wow.

What is becoming clear is that our main point of weakness is against physically strong players, not even necessarily speed, just strength, the types of strikers who can physically fight our backline.

Lautaro and Thuram were having fun against all of our defenders, even the 'titan' Araujo.

 

[serghei]

Inter played a solid first half. But then totally collapsed in the 2nd half. We basically bottled it and gave it away. A damn shame to throw away a season's work like that.

Now, maybe we'll achieve glory next season and this is the start of something truly big, or maybe this was THE chance and we threw it away like idiots.

 

[khaled_a_d]

In general I agree with most of what you wrote but statistically the chances of scoring against a packed defense is just lower than scoring against a high line when you have a few minutes left.

Headers are actually one of the most favourable attacking plans for analytics. That is with even strong teams in air, not our clown show.

 

[serghei]

Headers are actually one of the most favourable attacking plans for analytics. That is with even strong teams in air, not our clown show.

We had 3 options to deal with the last minutes. The ideal one would have been to use our technical qualities on the ball and pass it smartly, time waste basically, and end it there. 2nd would have been to defend deeper and make it hard for Inter to create big chances.

Third and the worst was us getting getting caught at the back looking for a 4th killer goal.

 

[serghei]

In cases like Flick this season, I can't really hate on the guy. He did such great work, that he should be the one being furious about himself and his management at the end last night.

If he really has no regrets... then he is the most purist and idealistic manager I've ever seen. That deserves some credit in its own way. Not many would have the guts to risk it all non-stop like that at every moment.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Hey guys, I am a newer barca fan. Did this game (in your opinions), rank worse than the Anfield incident? My father is an Atletico fan and I vividly remember that night, would you guys say that today was really worse than that?

Not even close pal.

 

[Porque]

About Inter, their striker pair really fucking clowned our defense in this match, wow.

What is becoming clear is that our main point of weakness is against physically strong players, not even necessarily speed, just strength, the types of strikers who can physically fight our backline.

Lautaro and Thuram were having fun against all of our defenders, even the 'titan' Araujo.

There's way too much over analysis.

And I am not really referring to you directly, but I am quoting this post as I liked a couple of the points and will touch upon them later.

That second half was a good a second half as you will see in knockout football. We went in half time, away, 2-0 down and then proceeded to utterly dominate Inter and go up 3-2. It was almost a perfect half and to continue to attack, or rather keep the pressure on Inter and try to close out the counters was the right decision.

Because of the way we played, Inter failed on so many of their turnovers and kept handing us pressure.

There is no knowing that reverting to a defensive scheme would have changes anything in regards to a late goal. Because that goal as I said previously was a route 1 ball with one clear foul on Cubarsi which is whistled all game long, and then a second potential infraction on Martin. Plus the way Martin reacted to the ball, and the way Araujo defended, there is no saying that a defensive scheme would have worked anyways.

When XT hits, tactics go out the window to an extent and tiredness takes over. At that point, maybe we should have played a more methodolical approach, but then again, we are not really a side to gamble on penalties. And I certainly wouldn't want to seeing how Sommer was performing- even if he isn't a highy regarded penalty stopper.

In the end it was a lack of individual defensive errors more than systematic- even if we do play on the edge. But that edge is what got us 3 goals, 26 shots and what should have been 5 goals.

For the first time I agree with Valgreens. It is what it is.

And to conclude, the bigger problem was going down 2-0 in the first, 2-0 in Barca in the first and going to Copa, 2-0 to Atleti in the first. There are only so many times that you can do that before it catches up to you. Those 4 goals are what cost the tie effectively.

 

[Horatio]

There's way too much over analysis.

This lol. We lost both our backs for both ties.

Also Sommer went full Neuer

 

[serghei]

I agree that part of the reason we are so effective offensively is because we are uncompromising in our attacking intent. However... we had moments in the past where we chose to sit deep and absorb pressure, and the team was very very good at it.

If you did that for something much lower than a CL final in terms of importance, absolutely rubbish to say the last 5 minutes of a CL semifinal you are ahead in is not the perfect time to do that.

Did it for an entire second half vs Benfica in 10 men. Guess what, Tek had some top saves. It's also hard to ask the keeper to save you when the defense is basically leaving someone unmarked on 8 meters centrally.

The Acerbi and Frattesi goals were basically unsaveable by any keeper in history due to the delusional risky defending we used. We basically gave ourselves no chance in defense after Raphinha's 3-2 goal.

 

[Porque]

I agree that part of the reason we are so effective offensively is because we are uncompromising in our attacking intent. However... we had moments in the past where we chose to sit deep and absorb pressure, and the team was very very good at it.

If you did that for something much lower than a CL final in terms of importance, absolutely rubbish to say the last 5 minutes of a CL semifinal you are ahead in is not the perfect time to do that.

Did it for an entire second half vs Benfica in 10 men. Guess what, Tek had some top saves. It's also hard to ask the keeper to save you when the defense is basically leaving someone unmarked on 8 meters centrally.

The Acerbi and Frattesi goals where basically unsaveable by any keeper due to delusional risky defending.

The Inter equaliser was at what, the 93 minute though? And up until then Inter were pretty non threatening. In fact on either side of that Lamine hits the post, and then after the goal, Lamine misses the one on one.

For the goal off of the Sommer long ball, Cubarsi effectively clears the ball and is pushed in the air by Thuram. Not called.

Then Martin pauses for half a second meaning he doesn't receive the ball first to easily deal with it. Then he falls over/gets fouled and goes down. Claims he is fouled and not reviewed in VAR.

Then Araujo gets beaten to a simple cross by an Old Man.

There's nothing in the above that says we closed the match wrongly. There's nothing that says that even if we played defensively, that Inter wouldn't have capitalised on a late long ball either. Especially when infractions are not called and then defenders like Martin slip/fouled and Araujo doesn't react to the man he is marking.

Extra time, different story. Even then, the winning goal was mostly down to huge defensive errors (Araujo loses Thuram which should never happen, and then runs and stands directly behind Cubarsi in a dead position instead of trying to reach the man on the ball. Just why!?) . And even then Lewandowski misses a goal he would usually score in his sleep (and to be fair he tried to score in his sleep by closing his eyes!), and Sommer made about 3 very good stops in that period.

And after going 4-3 we can't judge defense on the last 20 minutes anyways as tactics go out the window needing a goal.