Other Games - 2010/11 Season

[WikiVilla]

Its the sort of tippy tappy football GH is trying to bring to B6, sadly, at present we dont have the players to execute it, particularly the penetrative element of this approach

Fair play to Arsenal, they stuck at it and eventually rattled them into looking ordinary and open at the back

[nick harper]

Barcelona were fantastic in posession but I felt they got a little complacent in the last quarter of the game. The chances they missed were pretty careless.

Credit to Arsenal though, on the relatively few occasions they did have the ball, they tried to play their football and never gave up.

They also showed you can get at their back four which is certainly not the strongest part of their side.

[Chris Smith]

Barcelona were fantastic in posession but I felt they got a little complacent in the last quarter of the game. The chances they missed were pretty careless.

Credit to Arsenal though, on the relatively few occasions they did have the ball, they tried to play their football and never gave up.

They also showed you can get at their back four which is certainly not the strongest part of their side.

They missed Puyol, they looked vulnerable every tiem Arsenal attacked them. That said, on chances created they should have won about 7-3.

[Small Rodent]

I've just remembered that Joe Jordan is the Scottish Maradona, if you're Welsh.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Barcelona were fantastic in posession but I felt they got a little complacent in the last quarter of the game. The chances they missed were pretty careless.

Credit to Arsenal though, on the relatively few occasions they did have the ball, they tried to play their football and never gave up.

They also showed you can get at their back four which is certainly not the strongest part of their side.

They missed Puyol, they looked vulnerable every tiem Arsenal attacked them. That said, on chances created they should have won about 7-3.

I thought Barcelona were a bit too over confident and nonchalant.
I thought Messi was much too casual at times.
I'll be amazed if they don't turn Arsenal over at the Nou Camp.

[fredm]

The main attribute about Barca is the way they harrass you if they lose the ball. Immediately there are 3, 4 or more players surrounding the player in possession so that they win the ball back almost immediately.  By doing this they then dictate the play and force the opposition to chase shadows instead of them having to do it.

It would be very interesting to see if there are any stats about the length of time each side were actually in possession of the ball.  It was amazing to see the way Messi, Villa, Xavi etc all sprinted to close opponents down when possession was lost and not just leaving it to the defensive midfielder/ back four like we seem to do in England.

[PeterWithe]

The main attribute about Barca is the way they harrass you if they lose the ball. Immediately there are 3, 4 or more players surrounding the player in possession so that they win the ball back almost immediately.

I read somewhere that Guardiola works a lot on this in training as, statistically it is in the first few seconds of possession that teams are most vunerable to giving you the ball back. Even the big stars are made to do some sort of forfeit if they don't get the ball back within five seconds of giving it away.

[pauliewalnuts]

That Maxwell looks a bit iffy, and even I could get into the vast swathes of space Dani Alves leaves behind him every time he goes charging forward.

They're great to watch, mind.

[Chris Jameson]

I think Makoun could play for either of those teams and not look totally out of place.

Seriously? Admittedly i'd never heard of him when we signed him but apart from a decent display at Old Trafford he's looked distinctly average in the other games.

[villa1]

The main attribute about Barca is the way they harrass you if they lose the ball. Immediately there are 3, 4 or more players surrounding the player in possession so that they win the ball back almost immediately.

I read somewhere that Guardiola works a lot on this in training as, statistically it is in the first few seconds of possession that teams are most vunerable to giving you the ball back. Even the big stars are made to do some sort of forfeit if they don't get the ball back within five seconds of giving it away.

Correct. One of my mates mentioned this the other day.

I think they do a training drill where, if possession is lost, they have 7 seconds to regain it.

Edit: just read your 5 seconds bit. Pah! What's 2 seconds between friends?

[pauliewalnuts]

Its the sort of tippy tappy football GH is trying to bring to B6, sadly, at present we dont have the players to execute it, particularly the penetrative element of this approach

Fair play to Arsenal, they stuck at it and eventually rattled them into looking ordinary and open at the back

"tippy tappy football" - ie actually playing the game as it should be played, by passing the ball, you mean?

"tippy tappy" is the sort of phrase you'd except to hear Stoke City fans using to criticise fans of other clubs who think teams who rely on long balls and long throws aren't much fun to watch.

[Dave Cooper please]

Its the sort of tippy tappy football GH is trying to bring to B6, sadly, at present we dont have the players to execute it, particularly the penetrative element of this approach

Fair play to Arsenal, they stuck at it and eventually rattled them into looking ordinary and open at the back

"tippy tappy football" - ie actually playing the game as it should be played, by passing the ball, you mean?

"tippy tappy" is the sort of phrase you'd except to hear Stoke City fans using to criticise fans of other clubs who think teams who rely on long balls and long throws aren't much fun to watch.

Thank fuck Paulie.

I'm fed up of people using "tippy-tappy" as some sort of clichéd insult. Okay so the results aren't coming just yet, but they will, and we'll be a damn sight better to watch as well.

[Legion]

Yes, they will and we will be.

[PaulWinch again]

Its the sort of tippy tappy football GH is trying to bring to B6, sadly, at present we dont have the players to execute it, particularly the penetrative element of this approach

Fair play to Arsenal, they stuck at it and eventually rattled them into looking ordinary and open at the back

"tippy tappy football" - ie actually playing the game as it should be played, by passing the ball, you mean?

"tippy tappy" is the sort of phrase you'd except to hear Stoke City fans using to criticise fans of other clubs who think teams who rely on long balls and long throws aren't much fun to watch.

Thank fuck Paulie.

I'm fed up of people using "tippy-tappy" as some sort of clichéd insult. Okay so the results aren't coming just yet, but they will, and we'll be a damn sight better to watch as well.

Exactly my view as well.

[olaftab]

Spurs and Arsenal our Rivals? if only that was true

Of course it's not true. We have won more domestic honours than  Spurs, and won the League Cup more times than Arsenal  and both of them  have never been CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE ...so they  can not be our rivals!