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We didn't deserve it but I'll take the three points anyway thanks v. much, feel sorry for the Everton fans but we've had our own fair share of bad luck and injuries this season too.
Weekend Football Thread *spoilers be inside*
- Thread starter Tummy
- Start date
We didn't deserve it but I'll take the three points anyway thanks v. much, feel sorry for the Everton fans but we've had our own fair share of bad luck and injuries this season too.
Caporegime
So? Defending is an equally viable strategy. I would say England have some of the best teams at defending in the world so why not use our strengths? Equally Spanish teams clearly struggle to break down teams who don't throw everything at them so why would we not try that?
I think Chelsea were lucky not to lose 3/4 in the first leg
Same goes for the second leg (although Chelsea were a bit better)
That tactical genious that is Hiddink, lets line up with 10 men behind the ball.
Barca had 65% possesion over two legs against Chelsea, on another day Chelsea would have been hammered (or had a million pens if you're a chelsea fan
When United played Barca a few years ago, and United scraped through Barca again dominated.
Barca have been a very good side for a while. I don't understand why people say Barca have over night turned in to a great side, they've been great for a long time.
Barca had 65% but it was in exactly the same positions are Arsenal yesterday, the games were almost mirror images (apart from Drogba didn't miss his chances against Arsenal like he did against Barca). Chelsea are very good at shutting out teams, yet when they got the ball yesterday they were very poor at ball retention, they could hardly pass the ball to each other, what does that say about the way football is heading? The teams with power and pace are winning and the teams that try to pass it around, with the highly technical players, can't compete. It sucks and it's becoming boring.
It's not good football to watch. I enjoy watching good football, there are very few teams in England that can play good football.
So English teams can defend, thats because they're all stronger and quicker, not because they can play football.
Agreed, can't stand most English football atm. I should move to Spain, to me football is about having the ball and keeping it, not sitting back, defending, hoofing it and then sending a fast player to run after it. Such a rubbish way to play football, yet 95% of English people love it for some reason
I'm reading a book on the history of football/tactics and it explains why the English game is this way.
Look at the teams that do well in World Cups, it's always the footballing side's.
Until the Premier League stops a) buying players from over sea's and b) actually teachers young players to play football England will continue to be a average footballing nation.
Until the Premier League stops a) buying players from over sea's and b) actually teachers young players to play football England will continue to be a average footballing nation.
Caporegime
Are you reading back what you're writing?
What you enjoy watching means sweet **** all to the teams involved. If you asked Guardiola whether he would rather lose 3-0 in the final by playing attacking football or win 1-0 by snatching a goal and the holding on to it, I can bet which one he would take.
Yes England teams are stronger and quicker, these are football attributes, attributes that are clearly better than those in other countries, therefore they are better at defending, which IS playing football.
Read "The Ball is Round" Fantastic book, if a million pages long.
Guardiola and Barcelona will never give up their philosophy, do you know about the history of Barca?? Yesterday when they were 1 - 0 and down to 10 men in maybe their most important game of the season they didn't snatch a goal and hold on, they were going for a second. So you're completely off there. Not everybody has this awful English mindset of results over entertainment
Caporegime
So how did Greece win Euro 2004 then? It does work, just because no-one has one the world cup with primarily defensive football (I'm guessing here, I haven't been alive forever) doesn't mean it isn't an option.
Spain have a better league because they play football, South America is great to watch becaue they play football (and fight), Italy play some great football (and fight), Germany have started playing good football, Russia have started playing good football.
English football is pale in comparision, long ball, big and overly physical players. Football isn't about been the strongest or the quickest, it's about playing football.
There are very few teams in England that would survive in Spain.
Barca would rather lose playing football then win playing anti football.
Barca always play good football, it's what Barca are about.
The top league in Spain is good, all the sides play football and attack.
The same can be said for most low league football everywhere.
Caporegime
Well in that case Guardiola is a moron, no wonder Barcelona don't win everything is Spain then. If you go for entertainment over results then you clearly aren't a very good manager.
So how come it's the English teams that dominate in Europe? Apart from Barcelona no-one in Spain has come close to winning for years, and even then Barcelona needed some very dodgy decisions against Chelsea to get through. Italian teams likewise are hardly doing much in Europe, Russian teams haven't got very far in the Champions League and as for Germany, look at Bayern.
That's what it's all about to me, unfortunately there's such a monumental amount of money involved, everybody would rather set out to not lose, rather than to win. Football to me is a game that should be enjoyed, you shouldn't be terrified of losing like almost every team are at the minute. I was really excited up until about 4:10pm yesterday, all week Ancelotti was saying that Chelsea will attack Arsenal and try and play football, I didn't know that was his definition
Won everything last year in Spain?
Because the English teams are willing to sacrifice football for results.
I want to watch good football, I don't want to see two defensive sides slug it out in a Champions League final. Boring.