18 Feb 2014 21:01:31
And that's how you play against a packed defence. Barca showing us once again that you don't need to cross the ball 81 times to score against a packed defence.

1.) 18 Feb 2014
No. You just need Messi and his mates.

2.) 18 Feb 2014
At times, Alves and Alba got on the ball, and did not cross at sight. That makes no sense since messi and co are quite tiny and are never likely to get the ball.

It's like they're not giving the ball away on purpose.

3.) 19 Feb 2014
And we should be trying to copy them steviek instead of playing the rubbish we are under moyes.

{Ed007's Note - Is this Barca flavour of the month again? Can I file the Dortmund folder back in the drawer? ;)

4.) 19 Feb 2014
Nomidfield, that's such a simplistic view.

First of all, we don't have Barca's players.

Secondly, we can't play your favourite 4231 until we sort out our central midfield and full backs. Well, one full back at least.

We are forced to play 442 because of the weaknesses in certain positions, and the players available. Moyes has rarely, if ever, played 442, so give him the chance to get the personnel he needs to play 4231, and then judge.

These are fundamental reasons why we can't at this minute, play the intricate, tippy-tappy stuff that Barca do, and just walk through the middle of teams (Rooney's lack of positional discipline and his first touch are two more).

And I still maintain, that against a team that set up the way Fulham did, with two narrow, deep rows of five around their box - and in over 30 years of watching Utd, I've still never seen a team set up that negatively - then using the width available, unless you have the correct personnel, was the only way to get through them.

The problem was not the amount of crosses, but the inaccuracy and lack of variety in those crosses.

If you actually think about these points, you can see it's not just as easy, as, 'why don't we just copy Barcelona'.

5.) 19 Feb 2014
I'd rather play like Dortmund really.

6.) 19 Feb 2014
I believe one problem is that our manager has not defined how we are to play going forward. There has been a clear methodology of getting crosses in but that is not developing our play in a defined way. What is the philosophy? Is it Barca or Dortmund or Munich? I am a little surprised people saying we can't play in a different way yet expect us to buy a couple of players and to start next season in a new style. In my view we should have already seen the change beginning and the fact we haven't indicates we may not have as dynamic a change as people expect. Perhaps we will buy a dynamic pacy centre forward in summer to be more challenging and get on the end of crosses rather than changing the style altogether.

7.) 19 Feb 2014
I think, GAGUS, while you can sit back and admire Barca and the way they play, other than drooling over Messi, it doesn't actually excite me.

Is that heresy?

8.) 19 Feb 2014
Steviek

It isn't heresy, personally I prefer watching Madrid, Munich, Dortmund or even City to Barca, however we need to change ourselves and it is the what to or whether we do that will be interesting.

9.) 19 Feb 2014
Perhaps we will strengthen our midfield and defensive problem areas, allowing the manager to play the 4231 he historically prefers.

10.) 19 Feb 2014
No Stevie, they bore me as well. Sometimes they remind me of the chuckle brothers - from me to you, from you to me, from me to you, yawn.

11.) 19 Feb 2014
I agree steviek. I find barcelona boring to watch. I think they bore their opponents to submission, I can understand the skill involved but I don't find it exciting

12.) 19 Feb 2014
Nomid

Sometimes out of your frustration you say the oddest thing. What does barca have to do with us. Take a good look at the players we have. Maybe with 4 or 5 out and 4 or 5 in we will compete at their level.


Look at what they have on the pitch and even city at home struggles with their possession style. Only one team plays that way mate and it is them. I would argue their defenders have a better first touch than most of our forwards.

Last night they looked good and the sending off was a major decision. They will get knock out this year and will not win it as their shortfall is their lack of width believe it or not:)

Bayern showed how you beat them. Pack the middle and speed on the wings and go wide as barca's fullbacks tend to push forward and out of position when they get stuck not finding openings in the middle.

Finally, anyone for a United/Barca quarters:)

13.) 19 Feb 2014
I rather win. People can criticize Barca the way they want, they are effective most of the time and they usually dominate most of the teams.

Our game is even more poor than Southampton, so any attack minded game play is better than we have been doing this season.

So, copying Barca is not bad at all at the moment.

14.) 19 Feb 2014
I agree, Barca have become pretty boring to watch especially against decent teams. They minimise opposition chances by playing safe and keeping the ball very well but create little. I thought City looked by far the better team when they played a bit more freely and for a period when they had 10 men forced Barca into quite a few errors. I thought it came down to defensive errors on the night and Man City made the more costly of those.

15.) 19 Feb 2014
I'm sorry, Nick, but when you're brought up on a diet of Coppell, Hill, Kanchelskis, Giggs, Cantona etc, then entertaining football is a pre-requisite.

It's part of what the club is.

While we all obviously want to win as much as possible, I dare say there's a few amongst us, who deep down would be happy enough to sacrifice some of the success over the years, for that global recognition as being a swashbuckling, edge of your seat kind of team.

Again, that might be heresy to some of our younger fans, but I'm just an old romantic.

16.) 19 Feb 2014
19 Feb 2014 14:00:19
Agreed Steve i'd rather have brazil 82 than brazil 94

17.) 19 Feb 2014
I thought barce were brilliant last night, they held the ball well against a good city side and made them look pretty ordinary. The first touch passing was good to watch against city, Barce were under a lot of pressure pre match I thought, but stuck to there task and were very patient before getting there chances.
They should've had no only a fine goal but also a first half penalty too.
It reminded me of Arsenal trying to break us down last week but Barce actually managed it.

18.) 19 Feb 2014
Nice comparison, MrE.