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Barcelona....Best team in Europe?

mil1lion

This is the place to be
May 7, 2004
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77,596
They've got to be the best in Europe at the moment. If you haven't been watching them and you're a fan of football, you really need to be watching Barcelona play at the momnet. Barca have been a 2nd team for me for a long time now, and they are currently as good as i've ever seen them. Not only are they playing sublime football, but their workrate is exceptional. If they keep this form up, they will run away with the title this season. Its great to see Samuel Eto'o back to his best, and Lionel Messi not only playing at the top of his game, but keeping injury free. But every one of their players is great right now. I've especially been impressed with Xavi since the Euros. He can be overlooked at times, but this season he is finally being recognised as one of the Clubs very best and most important players.

Is there any Club out there in this type of form at the moment?
 

AW?

Formerly known as *******Who?
Feb 6, 2006
13,205
4,951
I think Ronaldo would be mad to go to Real if he had the chance to go to Barca at the end of the season. Messi and him in the same team would be fucking crazy.
 

Kendall

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2007
38,502
11,933
Agreed with Chelsea

Barcelona may be doing well, but I guarantee Chelsea wuld wipe the floor with them in the CL.
 

Chris12345

LADdam Hussein
Jan 15, 2005
11,908
31
Saw them demolish some club last week... Eto'o scored 4 in about 10 minutes, they're insane... like a version of Chelski that's nice too watch... tho saying that, Chelski are getting a lot better under Scolari...
 

donny1013

Well-Known Member
Nov 4, 2005
5,646
946
I follow Barca and this is the best the side has looked since they won the CL final. In Messi they have one of, if not the best player in the world. Pep has brought through the younger players such as Sergi and Pedro and there is a great mixture between youth and experience. Also, for me Xavi and Iniesta are two of the most under rated players in world football. Like Woolwich they play attractive football but the difference is Barca have the cutting edge with Eto'o banging them in for fun, so glad they didn't get rid of him.
 

DEFchenkOE

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2006
10,527
8,052
No doubt Barca are playing great right now. They have hit 6 goals at home I think twice so far and are grinding out away results too. They're squad is also quite strong, they can have a bench of Gudjonsson, Bojan, Hleb, Busquets, Keita. Last season they went very stale under Riijkard and could barely break down teams at home let alone away. Different story under pep though.

But let's wait a bit as they haven't played R Madrid, Valencia or Villarreal yet I don't think. I think Chelsea would be a very good match for them though. They are solid and are playing a much better brand of football now than under Mourinho.
 

mil1lion

This is the place to be
May 7, 2004
42,344
77,596
But that style of football from Chelsea could be the undoing of them against a team like Barcelona. The best way to beat Barca at the moment would be to defend like crazy and catch them on the counter. But i've been really impressed with Puyol and Marquez aswell so far this season. And Pique has slotted in perfectly at centre back. They look tougher to break down now compared to last season. They have so much going forward now aswell with everyone getting in on the goals. And we haven't really seen the best of Hleb and Keita since arriving yet either. They will be a force in the Champions League for sure. As Donny says, they're as good as they were 2 years ago. Its the same workrate they had 2 years back too. Everyone works very hard to get the ball back now, which went missing after they won the double. Its just great to see a team like Barca at the peak of their powers.
 

stevenurse

Palacios' neck fat
May 14, 2007
6,089
10,022
Whats that Busquets like? Saw that he wants a new contract or something? but Barca dont want to give it to him because of the wages. Heard he is a real talent though.
 

Petyr

Active Member
May 12, 2008
1,320
6
Chelsea are great against weak teams. Against Man U, Liverpool and Roma away they weren't impressive.

I like Barca, too. But the season is long and it remains to be seen, how they will play when it really matters.

I remember that a great Man U side was demolished by Barca 1994 with 4:0. Now, could they repeat it or it may be the other way round?
 

Kendall

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2007
38,502
11,933
That was back when the Spanish league was leagues ahead of the Prem. I think they tend to get bullied by teams like Chelsea and United.
 

mil1lion

This is the place to be
May 7, 2004
42,344
77,596
Whats that Busquets like? Saw that he wants a new contract or something? but Barca dont want to give it to him because of the wages. Heard he is a real talent though.

He's close to agreeing a new contract, and no doubt he will. Pep Guadiola rates him very highly. I've liked what i've seen so far from him. He looks to have great potential as a defensive midfielder. Still learning his trade, has given some cheap balls away at times but he'll be a top class player for sure.
 

DEFchenkOE

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2006
10,527
8,052
I don’t see Busquets as a dogged type of defensive midfielder like a Mascherano type. He reminds me a bit of Carrick, doesn’t have the passing range as yet but has good positioning and very good technique. Will be a very good player in the future but I still prefer Yaya to play the holding role at the moment. It’s a shame that Iniesta is out till Jan.
 

Real_madyidd

The best username, unless you are a fucking idiot.
Oct 25, 2004
18,792
12,448
They are probably the best team to watch in Europe right now. Such skill.
 

yanno

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2003
5,857
2,877
Barca are playing really well. They still play that unique 4-3-3 with Henry, Eto'o & Messi interchanging positions up front, but they're scoring for fun this season and confidence is high.

Guardiola has made some interesting tweaks: Xavi is playing a more advanced role; the passer Busquets has sometimes been preferred to the more physical YaYa Toure as the holding DM; and Pique has been picked at CB with Puyol at LB for the last couple of games.

Puyol is as natural a LB as Chimbonda (ie he's not) but it's working at the moment.

Interestingly, players like Keita, Hleb & Bojan are bit-part players at the moment, although they should get more regular football with Iniesta being injured.

I'd love Barca to win the Champions League. However, I haven't seen their defence properly tested, and I think English clubs in particular may fancy their chances against a back four with Dani Alves, Marquez & Pique at its heart.

If Guardiola is able to partner the injured Gabby Milito with Puyol later in the season, then they'll have a real chance.
 

AngerManagement

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2004
12,518
2,739
They've got to be the best in Europe at the moment. If you haven't been watching them and you're a fan of football, you really need to be watching Barcelona play at the momnet. Barca have been a 2nd team for me for a long time now, and they are currently as good as i've ever seen them. Not only are they playing sublime football, but their workrate is exceptional. If they keep this form up, they will run away with the title this season. Its great to see Samuel Eto'o back to his best, and Lionel Messi not only playing at the top of his game, but keeping injury free. But every one of their players is great right now. I've especially been impressed with Xavi since the Euros. He can be overlooked at times, but this season he is finally being recognised as one of the Clubs very best and most important players.

Is there any Club out there in this type of form at the moment?

HOw long is a long time now? and what made you take a liking to them (just out of interest)
 

mil1lion

This is the place to be
May 7, 2004
42,344
77,596
I liken Xavi this season to the change of Luka Modric actually. Both players are benfiting a great deal from playing that much further upfield. If Modric can add goals to his game (and he's come very close on several occasions) then he'll be one of the best midfielders in England.

HOw long is a long time now? and what made you take a liking to them (just out of interest)

I had a general interest in them as a kid but i followed them more around the time Romario joined them. He was one of my favourite players growing up. So i've followed them since about 93 really. But i wasn't able to watch them until about 2000 so it was more looking up their match reports more than anything. I loved their Brazilian players in the 90s. Rivaldo was another one of my favourite players and Ronaldo was awesome for the year he joined (i think he pretty much scored a goal a game that season in all competitions.) But since getting Sky Sports i've followed them a lot closer. I've pretty much watched every game since Laporta took over about 5 years ago. The era under Rijkaard was sublime though. The team of 4 years ago, and especially the double winning team has got to be one of the most watchable and enjoyable teams i've ever seen. The way football is meant to be played.

But Spurs will always be number one. :)
 
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