Barcelona Come Out Bitching
Oh dear, we seem to have upset the Barcelona players a little bit – mainly because they couldn’t score against us. So, in good old Barca fashion, they’re having a right whinge about it – aka, making excuses.
Fair enough, we parked the bus but surely if they were such a class apart, they’d have found a way around the bus? And personally, I think that’s at the root of their frustration. Barcelona fully expected to come to Stamford Bridge next week with a clear advantage in terms of goals and it hasn’t happened.
So, because they didn’t get the result they wanted, they’ve come out bitching about the injustice of it all. First up we have Dani Alves – who really has some front after the way he threw himself to ground all night – whining “Chelsea came here to draw and to ensure we did not score any goals. That’s their style of play and they are not going to change it in the second leg. But we are going to go there with full optimism and we are going to continue playing our own game and creating chances. The semi-finals remain open and I am sure that we will have our chances at Stamford Bridge. They will have to sweat blood if they want to eliminate us.”
I don’t get his point though because as far as I could see, we showed we’re prepared to work up more than a sweat against them if that’s what it takes – and whether he likes the way we did it or not, the fact is Barcelona didn’t beat us.
Anyway, on to Barca’s ‘choir boy’, and Iniesta moans “We tried to play our football. All the while, we tried to attack and score a goal, but when the team in front of you do not want to play football, it becomes complicated. The tie will now have to be settled in London. We will go there with a lot of motivation to score and to win. We hope that justice will be done and we can be in the final.”
Again, since when has playing disciplined, defensive football been a crime? Or as I’ve said, is it more the fact he couldn’t impress himself on the game as much as he’d hoped that Iniesta sees as the injustice? And surely if that’s the case, then shouldn’t the Barca midfielder be looking at his own game rather than ours? I’d said in the GuillemBalague interview before the game Iniesta lacked the necessary aggression when it came to fighting it out in a game and his lack of impact Tuesday night coupled with this whining afterwards suggests I might have a case.
Still, they’re not done moaning yet because Xavi’s put his twopence worth in and all, saying “It’s not as if this is a terrible result but the problem is that we deserved much more from our performance. We should have scored at least one goal because we were the ones who went for the victory, we were the team who tried to play football from start to finish. Chelsea came out in ultra defensive mode but we still managed to craft four really good chances. That suggests to me that the tie is still up for grabs. Barca put on a show which our fans enjoyed and the only missing elements were the goals and victory which we deserved.”
So, if I’m reading that right, Xavi’s take on it seems to be that because Barca tried to ‘play football’, it follows that they deserved to win, which confuses me a little if I’m honest. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong and if I’m honest I haven’t watched much of La Liga this season so things might have changed a bit in Spain, but in the Premier League at least, both defending and goalkeeping are still a pretty important part of the game. And of course, if you do both well enough you can stop spoilt bitches getting it all their own way.
On to their defence though, and Gerard Pique’s opinion is pretty much the same, suggesting “Barcelona were the only team who wanted to play, and yet the reward is for Chelsea, even though it seems like they came for a draw. At least we know we’re superior because we showed that on the pitch.” And it’s this opinion that for me, gives away the real reason for their discontent. Barcelona went in to this game completely believing they were the superior side and as such, they’d come away with the result they expected. However, they didn’t achieve what they’d set out to do and we did, so they’ve got a lot more to worry about in the return leg than they thought they’d have to.
Finally, we get to Samuel Eto’o, who says of the second leg “We will try to score there in order to relax, but they won’t be able to play like they did today, with nearly all of their players waiting in their own half. Nil-nil is not a bad result and we still have a great chance of getting to the final – a goal in London will change everything.”
And I suspect what they’re really worried about is what if that goal doesn’t come from them?
“I’d said in the GuillemBalague interview before the game Iniesta lacked the necessary aggression when it came to fighting it out in a game and his lack of impact Tuesday night coupled with this whining afterwards suggests I might have a case.”
Are you on crack buddy? Iniesta was the best player on the pitch asides from Cech. He was a constant threat to Chelsea and forced Chelsea to commit fouls left and right to stop him.
Football is not all about scoring a damn goal, yes that will help you win, but it is also about how you play and approach a goal that is admired. That is why Brazil was admired by all at the height of their powers.
Chelsea played like they needed to no questions about it but they clearly did not try to attack Barca at all just because they thought they could not match us at home. A team from third division can play like Chelsea did, putting 10 men behind the ball and hoping that the opponents dont score to get a draw. I just thought they would be a little more adventurous is all after Hiddik stating that they will go out to attack. I guess you still have the Birdge to attack in and hopefully the team is brave enough to come out and attack a little rather than play boring football.
Barcelona are like a group of lady who did not get their pay on pay day, they usually complain. Champs dont complain, they just sit back and win.
this was a win for chelsea how ever you look at it! we were basically out of everything a couple of months ago, and to be honest it has been the genius of Guss that has made us contender in the FA and CL.
as for the Barca vs. Chelsea game, its simple really. Barca right now are a better team, they have a younger more exciting squad! Chelsea have world class players but not of the caliber of Barca. But when it comes to the managers Barca don’t seem to have a plan B! I read an interview somewhere where Barca’s coach kept saying that no matter how defensive or dirty chelsea want to play Barca will do their own thing and play their usual game and that he could NOT SEE FOOTBALL PLAYED ANY OTHER WAY! i’m sorry but that just stinks of no plan B thinking, its exactly like Scolari when he was at Chelsea, no matter what the other team did we would never adjust. Barca had the same problem! if Chelsea are such underdogs and Barca seems to have divenly desreved the win then where was it?! where was Messi?! and except one good break by ETTO which Ceck proved to be equal too what did he do?! to be honest if everything went our way then the score should have ended 1 - 0 to Chelsea because Barca were the ones who made the biggest defensive mistakes! but i guess for some reason its their god given right to win and score goals and for some odd reason defense is not part of football anymore and Chelsea stole a result.
Hiddnik won, his tactics where much better, and the only thing Barca could have hoped for was some magic from one of their players which our boys proved to more than equal to. With them playing REAL this weekend and COLE coming back for the next game, i think CHELSEA will edge it and we will have our chance at revenge on MAN U in the final.
Everyone accused Chelsea of playing bad, defensive football that night. But when it comes to my perspective, I think it’s Barca who broke one of Sun Tzu’s art of war:
“When you surround an army, leave an outlet free.
Do not press a desperate foe too hard.”
Of course, when they pressed Chelsea, Chelsea would give them a very bitter fight. Unless Barca could lure Chelsea players away from Chelsea’s tight defense, Barca wouldn’t break through.
Barca kept a pushy game against Chelsea and they didn’t gain anything. They are forced to play in Chelsea’s way instead of their own way, so that’s why they couldn’t score any goal.
Whatever…always whining when they don’t score or don’t get to play their brand of football…Just like last season I think against Rangers they couldn’t score and made the same stupid arguments about anti-football tactics..What the hell did they expect anyway?
BarcaFan - to answer your question, no I don’t touch the stuff. Would I have seen Iniesta score if I did though? Because a threat or not, the fact is he didn’t have that extra edge to do any damage. Oh, and admiration for ‘how you play and approach a goal’ is all very nice, it doesn’t necessary win you every game you play though - so as I’ve said, maybe it’s Barca who’ll have the problem if they can’t adapt their game?
I don’t think the problem was how did Chelsea played,
but how aggressive they played.
Ballack deserved a red card ( what’s your opinion Chelsea Fans?)
Henry deserved a Penalty…
some other bad kicks deserved yellow cards..
at the end Ballack said that, the German referee was great.
I don’t blame Chelsea to play defensive football, it’s their own choice, but the referee didn’t take the good decisions when it was against Chelsea..
and all of you know that (at least I think that)..
m.hamze - Chelsea are a strong side defensively but just because they have a strong physical presence doesn’t mean they were fouling all night - they weren’t. The fact that Barca can’t handle that sort of game is their problem to deal with, besides, half the time they went down it had nothing to do with anything our players were doing wrong anyway.
As for the ref - I agree he was rubbish but I hardly think the decisions were one-sided. He was just generally useless really.
Ballack was lucky to get away with a second yellow and yeh, Henry was unlucky not to get a penalty but when players are seen to go to ground too easily over the course of a game, it can end up going against them.
“Fair enough, we parked the bus but surely if they were such a class apart, they’d have found a way around the bus?”
Apparently even their fans are a class below!!
Any top team in any top league would get such a result if that’s their desire. So congratulations are in order. We barca fans on the other hand hate nil draws, we hate the park the bus tactics, if u could call that a tactic at all, and we hate unattractive football, even if it brings us the win. If we or any La liga coach for that matter choose to play that ultra defensive football your team adopted last week they would be looking for a job next season. Ask Capello.
I honestly dont see Chelsea trying to play their natural Premiership game and coming out victorious, they will be embarassed. Their best bet is a pk shootout.
Good luck Wed, leave the bus outside though, u guys may need to park a plane this time.
“I don’t blame Chelsea to play defensive football, it’s their own choice, but the referee didn’t take the good decisions when it was against Chelsea..”
Puyol also could´ve been sent off with yellow-red. But it wasn´t to be