Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 33,188
Agree.
I think they've been really, really fun to watch the past 20 or so games and have had a storming season.
In other news, Inter Milan looking unlikely to be playing any European football next season.
I think most entertaining games are between the Real, Barca, Betis and Valencia ties, but they've played great football most of the season, it just wasn't quite working for the first 5-10 games. They were really fun to watch last season as well, but the difference a year has made with Vela, the whole team and how they find each other at break neck speed on the break, there is just the extra smoothness of a team who knows each other really well this season. I think it was the third goal, a header, a back heel and a pass between two players both running absolutely full pace forwards for all three, then then both run forward at again full speed before a perfectly weighted ball in behind and the brilliant little movement that lets the ball go across the striker and fool the keeper.
THat was a goal Barca would have been incredibly proud of, very few players can play as neat football at flat out pace, let alone almost the entire team.
AS for Inter, from what I recall you had Mourinho spend heavy in wages as much as transfers, also on some older guys with no resale value like Lucio. I've said before, you've got to include the past and present managers when thinking about a club. Mourinho took over and essentially took a team playing under another manager, and for two years taught them how to shut up shop completely, play with 10 behind the ball, play anti football.
The first three months, they are still carrying form of the previous way of playing, they were still training a different way, that doesn't disappear, but 2 years later after Mourinho leaves, Inter were already a team that had forgotten how to attack properly.
Chelsea for years had the offensive players, but seemed like a team just not quite used to attacking full on. There is only so much anti football you can teach a team before the players get quite poor and aren't used to playing "proper" football. Don't forget all the players at Inter were saying that essentially in the champs league Mourinho told them to lump the ball up the field, give away possession on purpose, don't chase it, let them come back and try and break you down. It really was anti football.... there is only so long you can play a certain incredibly limited tactical way before the rest of the game falls apart.
Mourinho's teams have all had a lifespan, 2-3 years then crap falls apart, fast, and those teams tend to be in financial and mental/attitude problem from his reckless overspending and huge wage bills.
He comes in, does a job, looks at a team focuses on the strongest part, ignores the rest, gets results for a couple years then jumps ship before the team utterly collapses, IMHO. Inter having way way way less money than Chelsea/Real, will clearly cope worse with this situation, less money to buy their way out of trouble, get rid of players, replace players, etc.
