Soccer 2012-2013 3.0

Springbok

Karen
<Gold Donor>
9,034
12,631
Yo Cesc/Song - take both of ya back for $20mil, and you at least have the opportunity to win in Germany.

Hahaha.

Seriously though, BM were tactically brilliant tonight. Giving Barca no room to work in the area they love to control. Could have/should have been more if the ref had a dick and awarded a penalty.

Messi looks a little jaded - I guess even the goat has off games. Barca are flat done - BM will score away, no question about it.
 

Neki

Molten Core Raider
2,726
397
I agree with the refs being unbelievably shit tonight. Should have awarded a penalty and the build up to Bayern's third goal was a foul on Alba

Can't take anything away from the performance though. They absolutely destroyed Barcalona. Messi is clearly not fit and shouldn't have started the game.
 

Szlia

Member
6,570
1,326
In the famous words of Balotelli: "Messi is really a magician: he managed to stay invisible during 90 minutes"

I would be very very impressed if the Barca manages to escape from that. They'll need to score four goal when today they did not even shot four times.
 

Neki

Molten Core Raider
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Even though the next match is the home leg for Barca, I really can't see this Bayern team getting stuffed 4 goals without reply.

You can never bet against Barca beingcompletelyout of it for obvious reasons but they need Messi to be on top form and with him clearly struggling with injury/fitness, they are basically fucked.

A Barca team minus a beast-mode Messi will not be able to beat Bayern by 4 clear goals. I can guarentee you that.
 

Szlia

Member
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1,326
I am not sure it was a fitness problem for Messi. I think it had more to do with the Bayern mid-fielders preventing Iniesta and Xavi to feed him balls and the defenders being very disciplined and organized in order to very quickly double-team him if he managed to get the ball.
 

Asshat Brando

Potato del Grande
<Banned>
5,346
-478
I thought the Milan game was the worst Barca performance I had ever witnessed, guess that was wrong. Bayern gets the lion share of the credit but Barcas tactics and team selection were baffling. Didn't help that Messi wasn't fit, almost seemed a detriment in hindsight.

As far as ManU, the EPL is down right now IMO. I wouldn't put them up against any of the 4 CL teams playing today and tomorrow and expect them to do well. Mentioning Carrick just makes it that much clearer as he would and did get shit on by any of these midfields.
 

Asshat Brando

Potato del Grande
<Banned>
5,346
-478
I am not sure it was a fitness problem for Messi. I think it had more to do with the Bayern mid-fielders preventing Iniesta and Xavi to feed him balls and the defenders being very disciplined and organized in order to very quickly double-team him if he managed to get the ball.
When have you ever seen Messi trying to go right consistently? He clearly wasn't 100?. Alaba and Lahm were pushing way up. If Alexis and Pedro made any runs such as what Bayern were doing then I didn't see it. That more than anything let the D sit on Messi fit or not. With Pep you saw Villa make those runs consistently in tandem with Iniesta, no fucking clue what they were thinking.
 

Neki

Molten Core Raider
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Guess that puts to rest the common thought that even the tea lady at Barca could manage the team and win

Fabragas should have played instead of Messi when it was clear he was struggling in the game. I know that Cesc is not as good as a player as Messi but he is still world class. David Villa should have been in instead of Sanchez and Abidal instead of Alba since he is much more defensively sound given we know that Bayern are fearsome in attack.

Easy in hindsight but the tactics in this game from Vito were baffling to say the least.
 

Ossoi

Tranny Chaser
15,945
7,862
"Hi Sid, I have done some research and have produced the following stats in relation to the percentage of goals Messi has scored compared to the total goals of Barca's top five scorers:

2008/09 - 32%
2009/10 - 43%
2010/11 - 46%
2011/12 - 56%
2012/13 - 60%

Barcelona's reliance on Messi has seen the great team from 2009 slowly but surely eroded into the shell that we saw last night."
 

Neki

Molten Core Raider
2,726
397
In other news:

BBC Sport - Luis Suarez 10-game ban: FA punishes Liverpool striker for bite

So suspended for rest of this season and for the first 6 games of next season. Wonder if Liverpool will appeal? Considering he got 7 games the last time he did it at Ajax, I think 10 seems about right.

Meanwhile RAWK goes into meltdown with cries of FA injustice and corruption
rolleyes.png


rolleyes.png
 

PKS

N00b
324
0
Just you wait until David Gill takes over the FA chairmans spot next decade. Conspiracy theorists will implode.
 

Fazana_sl

shitlord
1,071
0
7 for the first offence, 3 more for the second offence or because it happened abroad it doesn't count?

Of course the FA have to throw the book at everyone now and double fuck on toast this "can't do anything if the referee saw it" bullshit while we are at it.

That Rawk twatter is great "Whiskey nose" haha
 

Neki

Molten Core Raider
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I like the fact that those on RAWK think that the FA is heavily influenced by Fergie in all matters concerning Liverpool

Yeah, I am sure SAF views Liverpool as the clear and immediate threat to the Premiership
 

Fazana_sl

shitlord
1,071
0
Talking of imminent threats, the Premiership is going to be 10% Welsh next year. How fucked up is that?!

p.s. Grats Cardiff for finally getting out of the Championship, especially with such an old school style named manager.

edit: maths is hard durrr
 

Neki

Molten Core Raider
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Talking of imminent threats, the Premiership is going to be 20% Welsh next year. How fucked up is that?!
20%? I thought it's 10% with Swansea and Cardiff being in Wales unless I am missing something?

Forest still in a shout with a playoff spot though. 2 games remaining and 2 points behind 6th spot. Millwall away and Leicester at home so it still can happen.