April 2008 - Posts

• Barcelona crash out of the Champions League

  Once again it was a lack of goal-scoring prowess which cost Barcelona against Manchester United who will now be going to the final in Moscow. Barca had plenty of possession but they never really looked like they were going to score except for when Lionel Messi had the ball. United played a solid game but if Barcelona had played to their capabilities then surely they would have created better chances. Eto'o once again was disappointing up front and does not look happy at the moment while the midfield again did not function. Rijkaard has surely got to realise that he can't always play with a 4-3-3 formation and needs to vary the side while Xavi and Iniesta do not play well together. They are too similar and while they did not both play in midfield against Manchester United they still need a more cutting player. I actually think that Barca really lack a player like Giuly who like Messi runs at people and creates chances.  Posted Apr 30 2008, 01:18 AM by Tim with 2 comment(s)

• If Barcelona go out and attack they can beat Manchester United at Old Trafford

  The draw against Manchester United at the Camp Nou was disappointing in that they did not score a goal but it showed that they are more than capable of beating the English side at Old Trafford. Barca played better than they have done for a long time, perhaps their best performance of the season as they took the game to United and they only lacked the killer pass. United were stretched to the limit at the back and will have been more than pleased with the draw. I think that Deco was vital to the performance and showed again that the team struggles without his attacking runs from midfield. With Iniesta and Xavi in midfield there is no player who will make the killer pass, they are both technically strong players and never give the ball away but also they rarely try to make a key pass that could lead to a goal. Manchester United will be under a lot of pressure against Barca at home and they know that if they concede a goal they will be in a lot of trouble. Once again Messi though will be the vital player for United as he is the one who can separate the teams.      Posted Apr 27 2008, 07:06 AM by Tim with no comments

• Laudrup and Guardiola become favourites to replace Rijkaard as coach

  With the club struggling to keep pace with Real Madrid and Frank Rijkaard apparently unable to maintain control of the players it is likely that the Dutchman will leave in the summer. It is incredible how quickly people forget what a massive impact Rijkaard has made at the club in five years and during that period the team won the league twice and the Champions League playing the best football in Europe. Now though people can only talk about the indiscipline of the players which may or may not be true. It probably will be right though now for a new coach who can bring in new ideas and a fresh approach. If there is one thing true then it is that Barca always play the same system of a 4-3-3 and there is no doubt that now other teams know better how to deal with this threat but Rijkaard refuses to change the formation. Laudrup is the favourite of Cruyff someone he knows well as a player in the Dream Team and he has more experience of coaching than Guardiola who also was coached by Cruyff. The big advantage that Guardiola has is that he is a massive favourite at the club while Laudrup of course left for Real Madrid   Posted Apr 15 2008, 08:38 AM by Tim with no comments

• Barca to face Manchester United

  Barcelona put aside all their problems as they made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League and they face Manchester United for the first time since 1999. It was by no means vintage Barca though as they struggled to build on their 1-0 lead from the first leg against Schalke. The internal problems at the club were obviously taking their toll on the players as Schalke failed to make the most of several early chances. A lucky rebound though saw the ball fall to Toure though and he cooly finished to give Barca a cushion which they held until the end of the game. Bojan was Barca's best player again looking lively and dangerous on the right wing and there were whistles and white handkerchiefs for Rijkaard's decision to take him off. While everyone went away happy the question remains though whether the way Barca are playing is going to get them any further in the competition. They were stronger in defence against Schalke but they appear to be too slow in midfield, failing to break quickly enough with the ball and then in attack Eto'o and Henry are not living up to their reputations as deadly finishers.   Posted Apr 10 2008, 02:17 AM by Tim with 1 comment(s)