Barca

[guate]

Watching Barca play yesterday was a sight to behold, pure poetry in motion, like listening to Ravel's Bolero or watching the most beautiful girl on the planet do the dance of 1,000 veils right there, just for you. It was football at its most magical best.........very very sexy.
However I've no doubt that when we get to play them in this season's Champions we will do ourselves proud.........what more can you ask for at this moment in Tottenham's history.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Without having the technical players all-round like Barca do we can definitely still take some things from their game, as mili1ion says it's the constant work-rate and pressing from all players. They are possessed when they are hunting down the football, the opposition just panic mostly as they see 2-3 Barca players closing them down. It's also the confidence on the ball they have in each other, complete trust to pass to players even when marked. I think Modric/VdV/Bale are all comfy receiving the ball when marked but the rest of the team not as much. The majority of Barca players cope well under pressure.

 

[dynamoSpurs]

Exactly! Don't shit youself for the name of Barcelona and you will be fine.

You serious?

We are 10 million light years behind their quality, in EVERY single department, in EVERY single position. (cept maybe Bale )

 

[Chimbo!]

I can just imagine it. Redknapp tells the players before the Barca game at the Nou Camp, "Just have a go. dont worry about what Iniesta, Xavi, Villa, Messi and all the other world-class players at their disposal can do, just play attacking football."

15 minutes into the game and 4-0 down, Redknapp thinks to himself "might as well have a go now, got nothing to lose."

I can only imagine we will get thrashed if we try our gung-ho tactics there. You just hope if we do draw them that Harry has the sense to be cautious away from home and then take the game to them at home.

 

[SpurSince57]

The last time we played them they kicked shit out of us.

 

[guate]

I don't remember we did too badly in the preseason a couple of years ago

 

[Zimmy]

You serious?

We are 10 million light years behind their quality, in EVERY single department, in EVERY single position. (cept maybe Bale )

We could give them a game, home or away, so long as we play with three in midfield with two athletic ball winners in there ready to run all night.

Madrid suffered last night because they played Alonso and Khedira, two slow, labouring playmakers who couldn't get anywhere near Barca for the entire game.

We saw what happened last season with Inter if you close down the space and throw in some tasty challenges.

As long as we don't try and beat them at their own game I believe we'd have a chance.

 

[RobinLeonard]

We are one of the most dangerous counter attacking teams in the world. If Bale and Lennon play out of their skin and whatever striker we field actually takes his chances we will score goals against any team.

Our win against Arsenal last season was the exact way I would fancy us to play against Barca. If we could get an early goal (we should perhaps consider recalling Rose ) that would be fantastic.

I'm not hoping that we draw Real or Barca but I would rather go out against a team like that than Man Utd.

On our day we can beat anyone. Bale and Lennon can and will cause any defence worries. We have players like Modric and VdV that can produce world class performances.

To dare is to do and so on.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

I don't remember we did too badly in the preseason a couple of years ago

Apart from Yaya Toure, Bojan and Pedro they had a lot of b team players. We started pretty much full strength.

 

[brett.spurs]

At home I'd set up as normal, away though I think the only way to survive is just defend like hell and hit them with pace.

 

[ShelfSide18]

I'm confident we'd give them a good game, and there's no reason why we couldn't beat them if we played well with the right tactics, bit of luck and Gareth Bale.

I can't think of many better players to line up against Messi than BAE, he doesn't get fazed and often pulls a performance out against the big boys. Besides I don't think he knows who Messi is, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know who Bale is.

We'd obviously be up against it, and Barca would be runaway favourites but we steamrollered the team that beat them last season, and have some pretty incredible results behind us these last few seasons. Do you reckon Alves will fancy lining up against Bale? Abidal against a proven big match performer Lennon? We also have the weapon that is Crouch who nobody outside of England has a clue how to play, and I'm sure Modders would not look out of place up against Xavi/Iniesta etc.

I'd love to play Barca, bring them on.

 

[felmani26]

With the ball we'd cause them all kinds of problems, without the ball, hmm.....

 

[ostrov]

Like we always do against Utd/Chelsea/Lpool and until about a week ago Arsenal you mean?

I love the optimism on here these days but I really think people are getting a bit ahead of themselves, Barca would kill us, and I mean kill us, no doubt about it. Do you think we could go to the Nou Camp and defend for 90 mins like Inter did last season and only concede 1? No chance.

As much as I'm happy about our progress in the last few weeks we've still got a long way to go. I think the last few results and Harry talking about winning the league has raised expectations through the roof with some fans!

No, I am realistic, but I said we would do better than Real did against them last night.

 

[ostrov]

I'm confident we'd give them a good game, and there's no reason why we couldn't beat them if we played well with the right tactics, bit of luck and Gareth Bale.

I can't think of many better players to line up against Messi than BAE, he doesn't get fazed and often pulls a performance out against the big boys. Besides I don't think he knows who Messi is, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know who Bale is.

We'd obviously be up against it, and Barca would be runaway favourites but we steamrollered the team that beat them last season, and have some pretty incredible results behind us these last few seasons. Do you reckon Alves will fancy lining up against Bale? Abidal against a proven big match performer Lennon? We also have the weapon that is Crouch who nobody outside of England has a clue how to play, and I'm sure Modders would not look out of place up against Xavi/Iniesta etc.



I'd love to play Barca, bring them on.

Great post. Recommended.

 

[The Apprentice]

Away from home - we would get absolutely spanked.

 

[SpurSince57]

I don't remember we did too badly in the preseason a couple of years ago

I was thinking of our CW Cup semis in 1982. No-one was raving about Barça's beautiful football after those.

 

[mil1lion]

Still complaining about 28 years ago? I've followed Barca for 12 years and they've been a delight to watch. I couldn't care less about how they used to play. Hell Spurs were hardly pleasing on the eye under George Graham. I just put it in the past where it belongs and celebrate the glory football we play now.

 

[spursandbarca]

28 years ago wasnt the start of the cruyff/rexach era. since then 4-3-3 with the same system. people like van gaal who tried to change it were ushered out of the club and hated by the cules.

if mourinho is the special one, guardiola is god. the man is the emobdiment of everything that is right about Barca. mourinho looked like a f4ing translator last night and not much else. even valdano was criticizing him today on tv. It is only a matter of time before that all ends in tears.

yeah spurs would hurt them if they had the ball. problem is xavi and iniesta dont give the opposition the ball. barca had 69% possesion against a team that wanted to attack last night. back heels, flicks off the ball movement like you have never seen.

 

[Coyboy]

Beating them would be a Herculean task.

 

[BorisTM]

28 years ago wasnt the start of the cruyff/rexach era. since then 4-3-3 with the same system. people like van gaal who tried to change it were ushered out of the club and hated by the cules.

if mourinho is the special one, guardiola is god. the man is the emobdiment of everything that is right about Barca. mourinho looked like a f4ing translator last night and not much else. even valdano was criticizing him today on tv. It is only a matter of time before that all ends in tears.

yeah spurs would hurt them if they had the ball. problem is xavi and iniesta dont give the opposition the ball. barca had 69% possesion against a team that wanted to attack last night. back heels, flicks off the ball movement like you have never seen.

Hard to get the ball off Xavi and Iniest, yes. So there is no need to do that. It is much easier to not let it get to them. When Real were pressing hard their defenders for the ball, Barca were losing it very easily or had to quickly drop it back to Valdes. Once Real stop doing that they basically surrendered. Also Real had like 5 people playing in a line as defenders and their midfield was wide open. Barca are a soft team, we shouldn't let them have time on the ball and playing deep is like opening the doors of barn for the wolf to get in.