Chelsea vs. Barcelona: All This Useless Beauty
Tuesday, 05 May 09, 05:11 PM · Comments (100)
Amidst the hype about tomorrow night’s game, I think I’ve come up with a perfect tactical master plan to foil Pep Guardiola and his oh-so-magnificent charges.
It’s more cunning than Guus’s masterful shut-out in the Nou Camp and requires a tiny percentage of the effort for all concerned.
Install a fucking great big mirror in the away dressing room at Stamford Bridge.
They’ll be so busy regarding their own beauty and splendour, I doubt they will make it out onto the pitch much before Thursday lunchtime.
I mean, much to admire, poetry in motion blah de blah, but has there ever been a more narcissistic football club?
Endless reams of quotes from everyone bar the office cat at the Nou Camp about our terrible spoiling football, fouling and general bastardising of the beautiful game in the living room of its finest proponents.
How dare we adapt our game as the circumstances required when standing back to admire the show was clearly the sporting thing to do?
I was half expecting to open a paper this morning and see Xavi tell us that they’re ‘going to make us grovel’, Tony Greig style, so terribly inferior we are in the presence of football’s very own master race.
You want quotes? I’ll give you one then.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.”
Miss Piggy said that. The delicate blend of beauty and occasional violence seems appropriate in this instance.
The incessant carping from Catalonia during the past week says much about a team who appear increasingly uncomfortable with the weight of expectation upon their shoulders.
I suppose that when you’ve fallen to English teams in Europe’s premier club competition for the last two seasons, failing to score at home for the first time in a year against another one (and such a terrible bunch of aggressive oafs, too) must play on the collective mind a little.
Even Manuel Almunia, obviously over his FA Cup semi-final nightmares, has joined in the chorus of Chelsea-bashing, attacking our ‘boring’ football and ‘ghost’ fans (nearly as invisible as many of his own this evening, then).
He’s not from Barcelona, though, he’s from Pamplona. Famous for its bulls, apparently. I feel there is little need to develop that particular point any further.
Of course, this is all just a bit of history repeating itself.
A dig into football’s back pages reveals an interesting tale or two on the subject of FC Barcelona and their occasionally inflated sense of self worth.
In this month’s FourFourTwo magazine, former Bridge hero and serial trophy winner Marcel Desailly makes a rather telling comment about an encounter he had with FC Barcelona a few years ago.
“We really had it in for Cruyff, though, and for the media because they ridiculed us in the build-up to the final, saying we had no chance and explaining how Barcelona would mystify us. But we knew our strengths, even if they were built around our defensive organisation...”
For those who don’t know, Marcel is referring to AC Milan’s 4-0 demolition of Johann Cruyff’s sainted Barcelona side in the 1994 Champions League final – arguably the finest team performance of the modern era. Guardiola himself was on that losing side that night.
Some people never learn.
We’re all for the beautiful game, played the right way – broadens the mind, lifts the soul and all that – but the bitching from Barcelona and their many acolytes during recent days has been uglier than the average Joey Barton tackle.
This is a football match, not a moral crusade, no matter how much you try and make it one. There is a big difference between the two; mistake the former for the latter and you’re in danger of letting your obsession for perfection – the need to teach the opposition a lesson, even – overcome your will to win.
We have nothing to lose tomorrow night, and everything to gain. Not so long ago, even Champions League qualification for the Blues was looking like a tall order, so a ninety minute winner takes all, toe-to-toe duel with football’s finest for a trip to Rome is the proverbial bonus ball in football’s ever-surprising lottery.
A win for the Catalans would mean so much to so many; all would be right with the world, the natural order restored and justice done. It’s not just their moral crusade now – most of the footballing world seems to have taken it on. So only one question remains:
Have Barcelona really got what it takes?
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100 Comments · Add yours
Magnifique!
Glad to see that damn man flu hasn't blunter the Kaiser Sword of Sense.
Need to meet up methinks before the Blackburn Clog Dancers match.
Okay, so you're pissed about the abuse leading up to the match. That's cool, Jonathan. I know the feeling from the other side as a supporter of Barcelona. Hey, it's a big game and after two hellish years for the Catalan club (last year in particular) we're probably a little too eager with the forks and knives.
To be honest, I was a little shocked to see Chelsea play so far back. They never did that before with Barcelona, so it was a surprise. It's not that the Blaugrana don't play against a lot of sides employing a virtual 6-2-1 (2 out of every 3 clubs in la liga do that against Barça), but that a club like Chelsea would resort to it. We thought you guys were better than that. And I don't mean that morally, but technically.
After giving it some thought the last few days, I'm beginning to think maybe FCB is better than I thought they were, and I watch the guys just about every match. I mean I know they're probably one of the best squads in the club's history, but if a club like Chelsea is basically doing what a small Spanish club like Sporting Gijon or Numancia have tried against Barça in La Liga, then that's kind of gobsmacking, to use a phrase (hope I used it right).
Anyway, I'm cool with the defensive tactics now as this new reality seeps in, but I will pipe in and respond to the sense of outrage felt by the Barcelona players. I think it originates from the confusion that so few clubs actually do play attacking football. What's wrong with an attacking philosophy? Not enough money? Fans don't like an attacking game? I don't get it. Are 50-50 balls and crunching tackles more attractive than a killer pass or a shot at goal? Time and again the crowd goes wildest when the ball hits the back of the net.
Absolute perfection. Barca should realise that making Chelsea feel as if everyone is against them is the worst possible thing an opponent could do to us. Did they not work out what Jose's glory years were built on? The siege mentality drove us forward and all this complaining about us bully boys will only help us bridge the gap between the semis and the final. We may not have the skills according to Barca but we have the temperament, professionalism and class to beat Barca, so let's go and do it.
Hi Pequito,
Welcome to the blog.
With respect, I think you are missing the point. Nobody on this forum would argue that currently Barca are playing the best football in the world, and I doubt if their are any teams out there currently prepared to go toe-to-toe with them and win.... Bayern, Lyon tried, and Madrid tried at the weekend, and were comprehensively thrashed.
Chelsea had a job to do in the first leg, which was to get to the 2nd leg, whilst still being in with a shout. This was achieved with a spirited defensive performance and a little bit of luck.
The bottom line though, is that the best footballing team does not always win...Just ask Arsene!
If you blow us away this evening, no-one will argue that you deserve to be in the final. On the other hand though, if you fail to score again, then you can hardly expect a place just because you passed in a very pretty way!
Pequito>
Chelsea did do it before at Camp Nou in Mourinho's first visit. It gained an early goal, but ultimately failed in that match, but Barcelona were swept away in the return. And I think you'll recall Numancia actually won that way too, this season.
Just to be clear, you understand, because playing the way that fell into your lap didn't do Real Madrid much good this weekend either.
It's not so much that you think we're stupid, but that you demand us to be stupid. Sorry to disappoint, but no-one's that stupid (except Real Madrid, but it's Ramos you see).
I think you'll also find that we're perfectly able in a technical sense to play differently, but tactically we'd rather like the certainty of having something to play for in a second leg, than merely a hope that it turned out all right in the end.
Which is where we differ. Technically we are able to play both ways, while Barcelona make such a big thing about "morality" (like you did) because they simply have no choice. And that's a failing.
You see, when you played Liverpool the other year, they shut you out and scored themselves. You had nowhere to go. When we played them, when they scored it just riled us and we swept them away. That's because we can.
In years gone by the great Liverpool teams of the past played like that in away legs, even when they were playing nobodies, then did the business in the home leg. Everyone thought it was great and it won them 4 European Cups within a decade.
And there's no truth whatsoever that few clubs play attacking football, but the big surprise to me last week was that Barcelona's attacking so was so empty of ideas and it ended up just passing around and aimless shots from distance. We had a manager who liked to play that way, not so long ago, and we sacked him because it was one-dimensional and failing.
So stay on your high horse as much as you like, Pequito, we have an appointment in Rome at a time when you'll still be crying into your beer. Adios.
For what it's worth, I was quite the fan of Mourinho's Blues, so I've nothing against Chelsea per se. In the first leg, Barça were having an 'off' day of finishing. They do that again, they'll lose, or at least see it taken to pk's. I know the result will put our arguments to rest (or at least vindicate bragging rights). So be it. Best of luck to you.
Morning all and welcome, Pequito
It's not so much being pissed at all the carping from Xavi and his pals, it's amusement really. This is all about how you react to the pressure of a tricky situation, and I don't think Barcelona are doing too well on that front in this instance.
A few of the comments rather sum up my point; the fact is that Barcelona are, on paper, the far better side, but the simple fact is that they don't seem at all comfortable if things don't follow their script. But games like this evening are as much about temperament as skill and whilst Barca unquestionably have us on the latter, I think we're streets ahead on the former. Should make for an interesting night.
fucking brilliant. love your wit and style. let those spaniards talk as much as they want. we will show them what a TEAM performance is tonight.
trueblue,
Shaun
Admittedly it's the Sun, but they've got a valid point about our treatment from European officials :
LINK
Tonight just generates the team that I want to see smash ManUSA all over Rome. Clearly, I want it to be us, but if not, it's ABM (Anyone But ManU) for me.
Sod the patriotism of supporting the team from your home country - give McFergie and the Portugese Winker what for.
I dont see why there's been such a backlash to last week. Most of the stories seem to stem from a dis-belief that we actually prevented Barca from scoring, then journo after journo jumping on the 'Chelsea ripped the heart and soul out of football' bandwagon. Jeez, deal with it. We had a game plan and we executed it almost to perfection. What exactly is wrong with that?
How dare a team in modern day football - based on fancy tricks and flicks and falling over gracefully - show a bit of mettle and strength and slowly frustrate their opposition. Boo-fucking-hoo. What do you want from UEFA, a goal headstart because the World seems to think you play graceful football?. As Harry (#5) points out, as and when we need to start passing it round and generally playing, we can and will. It's just we didn't need to.
Clearly we'll be lambasted further should we prevail 1 - 0 tonight with Malouda scoring with his arse 4 minutes from time after 86 minutes of shooting practice at the other end.
But do we care? Do we hell.
The Times this morning: "Lionel Messi's beauty takes on Chelsea's beast". I'd be laughing if I wasn't yawning so much.
You speak perfect sense JD and say everything I would want to say before this match (as previous posts - in the long ago years when Arsenal were cast in such light as Barcelona - will testify). And I too admire the Catalans style of football. If we had Messi in our team, we would no doubt try to release him as much as possible in forward areas to do his damage. We would be more offensive in style. Like we were when we had on form wingers like Robben and Duff and used to win 4-0 every week - remember that?
But we don't have anyone like him. And we have to play in the Premier League. Barcelona do not. Also they enjoy referee protection in Spain, where physical contact is practically disallowed. They would challenge here, but would not win titles with their defence.
I'm digging my own personal trench behind the sofa and will be wearing a tin hat this evening. More smothering and a nicked goal from a set piece will do me. In fact, to tune of that Elbow song:
Keep the defence tight
One nils from now till June
Will see me right
Excellent post Jonny, perfect on the Barca self-love and the argument was well carried by Greenlight and Harry.
Barca are a wonderful club and play very pretty football, but the arrogance - every single time we play them - is simply breathtaking. Given past results, you really would have thought they would have learnt their lesson by now.
If they beat us, I begrudge them nothing and will be happy to support them in the final, but if we win let's hope they don't act like spoiled, whinging brats as they did last time we knocked them out.
Reply to Fiftee:
That's an interesting read.
We've talked about these referee's briefings before and it seems that the mainstream are also taking notice now.
None of this bodes well for this evening and it's up to the guys to keep their discipline in the face of what may well be some fairly obvious simulation.
Talking of which, Rondivo's getting a little too good at it.
His swimming coach has presumably told him to limit them to just a few each game, or until one produces a goal, then play on as normal. Such a plan means that ref's won't question his antics too closely or produce the deserved yellow.
This is a strategy which seems to work as we saw last night.
There's no doubting that the media are on a Crusade for everything that's good (Barca) and the culling of the bad(us)the Anti-Christ of entertaining football.
Short term memory loss for Journo's and fans alike is rather unfortunate. They only have to look back at a very entertaining game nearly 12 months ago, between two English teams in the final. Or if that is too far back, then how about a few weeks ago against Liverpool.
For all the talk of Barcas scoring exploits, it's easy to score and play like that in a league which has more in common with the SPL, where only two teams are in with a realistic chance of winning it.
I'm with the majority of people on here, if they beat us then good luck to them in the final. Because there's no doubt I'll be nailing my colours to their mast come May 27th.
Quite right Fiftee; anybody but Utd!
"Beautiful" article, mate. At last some sense and writing from someone who's in the real world! All these little ladyboys of Catalonia need to grow up! Rijkiiard said the same thing last yr when Man U knocked em out & Guardianista Guardiola sade the same thing after the 1st leg. I hope these divers & over-rated premadonnas get a good reality check tonight! Same people, do indeed, never learn...
I'd like to question the perceived wisdom that allowing players to run around unchallenged with the ball, is good football or even good to watch.
It's akin to watching a boxing match where arms are flailing and there's blood all over the canvas and commentators are going on about the best bout of the year. Bollocks.
Football's a sport as much as a game; stamina, strength, strategy and all the other stuff go to make a good match, not just the ability to wiggle past a few players who are unable or unwilling to defend.
One of our biggest problems in Spain was the ref's blowing every time we won the ball which prevented us getting at them and that's what we'll need to be aware of tonight too.
Spanish talking about bully boys is a bit rich, ever seen a bullfight?
It's the 'game' where a poncy bloke kills an animal to entertain people and if the animal gets a chance to up-end the poncy bloke, then loads of other poncy blokes rush out to protect him (no whistles or yellow cards, but they do have red flags).
Maybe they'd like a dozen refs on ponies to protect the barca poncies on the pitch tonight.
Reply to Clive:
Oh Please... the final last year was anything but good football... CSKA London tried it's best to fuck it up... manu were atleast trying...
and the 4-4 draw with pool.. that awas all down to pool going gung ho and attacking ur arses from the off.. if it wasnt for their two goals in the first half you wouldn't have budged outta your half... please lets not be delusional and call chelsea an attacking team eh??? ur good at stifling other teams and nicking a goal thru drogba's dives or lamps deflected goals
I see Giles Smith is on good form again on the official website today recalling the Good Old Days before online ticket purchasing when you had to join real queues "starting essentially in Hammersmith" to buy an FA Cup Final ticket.
Reminds me that one of the last times I had to stand in a queue down the Fulham Road for about an hour and a half after a midweek game was to get a ticket for the home leg against Barca, I think in 2000 rather than 2005.
A repeat of the result of either of those legs would be more than acceptable - though 1-0 off Malouda's arse as described by Fiftee above sounds fine too.
I've pretty much ignored the press since the first leg; I just find it all so tiresome.
I will be turning the TV on at 7:44 p.m. tonight and (I hope) turning it off again just after 9:30, regardless of the result.
Despite the animosity between the two clubs in the last 10 years, I still have a soft spot for Barcelona. If they beat us fair and square tonight, I will be a Barca fan for the day of the final.
@FSTS - I'm pretty sure bullfighting has been outlawed, or is in the process of being outlawed, in Catalonia, As far as I know, Barcelona is an anti-bullfighting city.
Respect the 4-year-old Gooner for actually having the balls to come on here after last night's epic dismantling, shame he has to talk a load of crap and embarrass himself, but his head is probably still reeling.
blueboydave - queing for cup semi tickets from 4am in 1996 was what finally persuaded me to get a season ticket.
@16
Oh dear is that the best you can come up with.
To be fair, most of the press has been on our side making many of the points we've been making - Patrick Barclay, a sadly predictable replacement for Martin Samuel in the Times, repeated the Barca talking points (Chelsea should have got more yellow cards because Barca play better football), but everybody else I've seen has just laughed at their whinging even if they are one hell of a good team.
The ref could have been harsher last week – Ballack and Puyol could have both been sent off, Malouda and Alves both been booked for cockery, Drogba and Xavi booked for whinging - but that would have been ridiculous given the relatively low number of fouls committed in the game as a whole. The fact he didn't cave in in the face of Barca players' relentless pressure is to his credit given some of the past refs we've had in this fixture.
Reply to chelseablog:
"As far as I know, Barcelona is an anti-bullfighting city."
They can still watch it on TV and they used the term bully.
Maybe it's the bullfighting fans who now go to watch barc and that might explain their attempts to transfer the rules to football.
Either way, when they get in trouble they expect help from the officials.
Final comment on the 'dirty Chelsea' thing. A couple of Barca fans on the OleOle board were moaning about Chelsea having some of the dirtiest players they'd ever seen, such as John Terry.
John Terry did not commit a single foul at the Nou Camp.
Good preview by Samuel by the way.
LINK
Reply to PeteW:
I wrote one of my rare articles for CFCnet on the subject on JT's performances against Barcelona (can't find it now) and it seems he's only ever been penalised for about 3 or 4 fouls against them over 6 or 7 games.
He did get a yellow in one game, but that was for booting the ball straight at a faking Deco who was pretending to be hurt until he jumped up in righteous indignation. That must be one of the best value yellow cards of all time.
My point is, against the wealth of attack that Barcelona have possessed over the years, JT has to be the fairest player ever to successfully defend against them. Absolute genius.
And if that spiel hasn't guaranteed him a red card tonight, I don't know what will. Blame me if you like.
Oh, and this ref is a mate of Terje Hauge (his 4th official). Hauge is the one who allowed the infamous ghost goal. So let's not assume, as a northern European, he won't be biased against us. It's happened before.
Reply to PeteW:
Yes indeedy. My only concern about this playing to our strengths thingy is that we may forget our own attacking capabilities, for score we surely must.
Part of their own obsession with barc's forward play is to mask their defensive frailties, which we are well able to exploit.
We must defend well at all times, but we must also attack, if not in large numbers, regularly and with conviction. Drogba will need support (my pref is Nic) and maybe one or two following up from midfield, which would still leave six or seven behind the ball.
If we do it enough times, their defence will crack.
btw. I'd like to thank #16 because I was feeling a little sorry for the goners last night, but not anymore.
A lot was said about the game in Camp Nou .
It was really embarrasing for Chelsea as a big club to behave in such way .
Simply , they are the most coward club ever witnessed on earth .They showed how much scared they were jejejeje ;) :)
Moreover, they got a refree in their favour who wasn't able to send Ballack off after numerous violent attacks on Barça' players .
Simply , they don't deserve to be in the final ; ): ): )
Reply to fansincethesixties:
Feel sorry for the Gooners??? you're going soft man :-)
The fact of the matter is they've bottled two semi-finals in the space of a few weeks. And what most of them don't like is the fact that Utd and them are no longer the big important teams contesting things.
Hell they're not even the top team in London anymore. Let them keep their so called pretty football, it's pots that count at the end of the day, and deep down most of them know that.
Reply to Itri83:
Oh dear did we spoil your record of scoring at every home game?, get over it.
And don't get me started on sendings off, Puyol should have also gone, and that little shit Alves.
But we know why Barca want our players sent off, because on previous occassions you've manged to beat us when we were down to ten men. Lets see you do it when it's 11 v 11
Reply to Itri83:
This is turning into a surreal episode of "Mind Your Language"!
The road to redemption: this is our last obstacle....
KTBFFH!!!
Yes Clive, I know it's crazy, but the sight of all those kid's dreams being shattered was too much for me, and that was just the management.
I wonder how many of those young footballers will thank ArseW when all they have to show for their time is a losing mentality.
On the subject of Arsehole Whinger and the Goners, I think I heard on the news this morning it's now 4 years since they won a trophy.
Still, if you're happy with lots of nice passing and 'The Greatest Kids on Earth (TM)' while we stock up the trophy cabinet, good for you.
'But we know why Barca want our players sent off, because on previous occassions you've manged to beat us when we were down to ten men. Lets see you do it when it's 11 v 11'
As I just reminded a fellow blue in the office, they don't need to beat us tonight...
Reply to Fiftee:
And it's not just us.
Pompey and Rottenham are both ahead of them in the recent trophy stakes.
Not that silverware is everything, but they haven't played good footie for quite a while, either.
Reply to PeteW:
Many thanks for that reminder, Pete.
Now I know why you chose such a cheerful avatar.
As a former student of British Maritime History in the 17th to 19th centuries, when a major battle like tonight's beckons, I always stand like a rating on a ship-of-the-line and gaze towards the flagship awaiting the Admiral's final orders.
And lo in the morning mist I spied Rear Admiral Dyers final exhortation being run up the yard arm. Inspiring as always.
I will soon set sail for the Bridge buoyed up by hope but a little apprehensive.
I learned 2 things of note from my studies (apart from the dates of the War of Jenkins Ear).
One was how to avoid scurvy by the judicious use of good vittals, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables...washed down by copious draughts of alcohol.
The other was to keep one's powder dry...
'Til tomorrow shipmates......
(exit to the theme tune from Captain Pugwash)
Hey, great article, brilliant writing! I wrote something like that in the comments to the blog about the game at Nou Camp, though my comment was a bit too harsh, sorry for that!
Well, what can I say now... Us and them can talk all we want before the game, but the result is all that actually matters! Sometimes I wish JT or Lamps or Cech would read this blog, because this very article and the comments have sure lifted my spirits for tonight. You know, all it boils down to is the simple fact that it's just a game of football, 90 minutes (hopefully), nothing more. All this crap, all this speculation, all this press is pretty useless anyway. We're Chelsea and they're Barca, both classy professional clubs are more than capable of beating each other in a given match. Why should there be so much pathos surrounding the game? It's just a game. Get out there, do your job and beat them. They're only human. What I mean, I hope Guus will try to lift as much pressure off of our players tonight, let them play. And I hope Ballack, for once, beats the hell out of some cocky Barca drama queen, while we're at it.
Anyway, I sincerely wish good luck to both teams! This is what UCL is about! Two great clubs, stakes are as high as ever! This is what football is about (and not yesterday's demolotion of Arsenal, who are simply not good enough at this moment to challenge for anything).
Cheers!
Ok, as I prepare to watch the game with no tin hat, no nerves and no worries for once.(the beauty of NOT playing an EPL team and having an FA Cup to look forward to) I spied this nugget
LINK
One of the oft mentioned names pre-Phil. So, if not Guus then who......do we add MVB as a prospect? Alongside an unemployed blonde German (also previously mentioned), a young Croatian tiger, or the former post-holder with the Iberian Luvvies....
Only weeks to go.....
Marco Van Basten- I thought he is really good, perspective, young manager but he didn't have really good results with Ajax... I do think, if he comes he will replace some of our ageing players with right players
( what guus thinks about the age of our team LINK .. I agree with him 100 % )
Jurgen Klinsmann - Great results with Germany, bad with Bayern Munich ... I don't think we should risk it THAT MUCH. In my opinion, he didn't prove himself in club football ...
Slaven Bilic- Young,arrogant, attractive and perspective ...HOWEVER ...he never managed a club.
My wish was DIdier Deschamps , but he signed for Marseille ...
So, I can freely say ...ANYBODY BUT ANCELOTTI... Before I was too picky ...no please not Rijkaard, no please not Mancini , but when the Ancelotti-story was published I decided just to pray ...NO ANCELOTTI ...
seriously.. I would rather have Scolari back ( I know, I am a masochist ) than Ancelotti.
VISCA EL BARCA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One more thing ...
I completelly agree with all people who say that beautiful football is THE BEST football
But
Is Barcelona really playing that beautiful? Is diving part of beautiful football? Is arguing with the referee half of the game, when he got the right decision? Is crying and being hysterical part of the beautiful game (Dani Alves) ?
And constant provocations over the press how we are cowards and don't know how to play...iS THAT BEAUTIFUL? No it isn't. Thats what I call BEING A COWARD.
God, sometimes I miss Mourinho so he can shut those hypocritical idiots up...
To divert us from the nerve wrackery of the build up I offer up this.
LINK
I did chuckle at this compliation of quotes from Mr Cantona. Up his own a**e, perhaps, self-regarding nonsense maybe, but as with JM now being in Italy the the daily football sound-bite is diminished by his retiring.
@TG
I have my army of research assistants and gap students re-drafting the list of "Managerial Candidates as Fictional Detectives" as I feel the time is approaching when this particular dead horse could be given another flogging, non?
I have to agree with this :D
On Nicolas Sarkozy
Le Pen with a mask (2005)
Reply to BlueBayou:
Absolutely - with Mr MVB presumably being likened to Van der Valk?
Reply to BlueBayou:
Having noticed the word coward being attributed to us on a few blogs by Barca fans, I suppose their history lessons portrayed Drake as one as well.
Yes it appears having singed their beards at Nou Cadiz, the return leg didn't go their way either, lets hope history repeats itself once again.
I do apologise for using the word history on two occassions, it's my delving into Liverpool blogs too much that's the cause of the syndrome.
As a Barça fan, and a true one (there are a lot these dayy), i have no idea what's going to happen today. Probably because, just like Pequito said above, i did expect some attacking from Chelsea (please, forgive us for liking attacking football, we have always played that way), so how they will manage to attack today without leaving spaces for our players, it's a mystery to me. Saying that it will be a tough game, that anything can happen and that true Barça fans don't think "this is going to be easy, we will win 6-2 like we did last weekend", i will refer to some issues i have read across the comments.
First, the diving. I see from your comments that you haven't seen us play this season more than the game against Chelsea. I have seen you guys, and i can say that drogba has a serious, serious diving problem. In our side, i agree, alves sometimes exaggerates..but nobody was diving from the countless tackles from that criminal ballack is (german ref, the worst, he got to finish the game while puyol was yellow carded by a stupidity)...i don't see the diving on Henry, when he was elbowed by alex (i have seen a lot of football, and that's not the way to win an aerial ball). If you don't think that there are teams in spain that play like you (Racing, Osasuna, Numancia, Athletic Bilbao, etc etc), that privileges the defending (with some degree of violence but never intentional) then you don't know anything about spain except that they like bullfighting (the references over bullfight here are hilarious, considering 90% of catalans don't like it).
Second, the press. Barça is a huge club, like madrid, and both have their supportive press. But they're quite unmanageble sometimes and at the end of the day, all they want is to sell. So we don't take too seriously what they write, or what they complain about. Barcelona press (different from madrid press) has never succedded on giving pression to a ref (not in spain, less in europe), so i don't see why you care about it.
Reply to PeteW:
Ah yes Pete, it hasn't gone unoticed on my part, I'm well aware that any score draw, or a penalty shootout will see us eliminated.
What i wanted to say with my long post above, was that both teams have very different backgrounds and obviously we, the fans, don't necessarily understand the way of playing of the other side. I like attacking football so i cannot understand why people were saying that chelsea were so fantastic in the 1st leg when they did not attacked at all. But that's me. And thousands of other Barça fans. Because we have that atacking heritage different from yours, which doesn't mean it's superior or better, just different. I do respect defensive teams because we face them every weekend (not last one, clearly) and sometimes that's the only thing a team could do against us. But i take valencia for example. They went out to the field a couple of weeks ago, to literally kill us. And they almost did. Defending brillianty but also attacking. We draw 2-2. This is a CL semifinal, teams are supposed to attack at some point. That's why we were surprised, because chelsea had had some attacking in the past against us..
Anyway, no disrespect to anyone, chelsea are a good side and the game today wil be tough. Good luck.
And Sarah, just a little note to you. Please see more of Barça before making an opinion. I wouldn't write mine if i had seen one chelsea game this season.
Reply to mariaines:
Please, Please, Please can you stop going on about your attacking heritage .FFS. Look at the number of goals scored by both teams in matches against since 2005. Chelsea have scored 10. Barcelona 9. The amount of history re-written in a weak to justify a what is perceived as a poor result is astonishing. Frankly if we do go out I will be supporting the Mancs in the final. Barcelona have just edged past Arsenal into second place in my list of irritating teams.
Look, what you're saying is true, about your attacking mentality and all that, but I do not see why you think that teams that play defensively against you simply have no other options and are scared. Don't forget, you also have to score and not concede. It's just style. I love Barca, they're obviously an amazing side and have always been. No doubt about it. Proud club, proud history, proud supporters and Barcelona, IMO, is one of the best cities in the world, I'm still in love with it after all these years. But your history and your ability is precisely the reason you should have the utmost respect and courtesy when dealing with other clubs. You have nothing to prove, you've always been on top, so why bother with all this bullshit (especially your players' comments)? You're good enough to beat any side in the world, so just get out there and do it. Why would anyone who plays for Barca regularly want to make stupid comments about how anti-football or whatever the other team was? Our players were very and still are very respectful towards Barca. You seem to be so vary of having to sustain your image as the prettiest club in the world, as the saviours of football and all that jive, that you sometimes forget that all it takes for that is to simply win matches. Score goals. Not concede goals. That's all. Why all the cheap talk?
Christ, what kind of a childish discussion is [the majority of] this? The blues are trying to defend their way of playing, which was extremely defensive and harsh, but it delivered them a great 0-0 result. The Barça fans portray a mastermind like Hiddink as a coward, for doing exactly what he had to do, and what all other world class teams failed to do: defend, by and with any means possible.
I am a Barça fan, have been since I was a child, but I can only applaud Hiddink's tactical brilliance and Chelsea's powerplay and determination. True, the faul on Henry was a definite penalty and there were numerous more fauls which the ref somehow missed, but, and I speak the words of Bojan Krkic here: you can not blame anyone for this result; we tried but failed to score. If we did, no one would accuse the ref of being blind and we'd all be happy as usual.
I'm confident tonight we'll see a great game, because Barça's playing better than ever and all players and fans surely realise this will be the toughest, but also most important game of the season [yet] for them.
I've never understood fans who desperately try to defend their club with lies over and over again. In Nou Camp, we failed and Chelsea prevailed. Let's hope that Stamford Bridge will see a few more goals, preferabily on the Blaugrana side ;)
To Gleb: I do not know which Barça players smack talked the blues, nor do I know if it wasn't just the tabloids looking for some sensation. If you would pay a visit to the Barça website, you'll see that the reactions (like the Bojan one I posted above) of the players are that they just weren't good enough. No one's to blame, not even that ref.
I have just had Paella for tea. Hope this doesn't mean anything!
Me and Sky Sports are not on good terms.
Let's just say 'the man' doesn't like the way I pay bills.
Anybody got a link to the game?
All best tonight.
Speechless...
In all honesty after the 1st goal, I don't know what happened to our strikers but I don't think we deserve a win if we gonna rely on penalties.
Well done barca. Genuine football beats negative anti football everytime.
utterly gutted.
utterly utterly gutted.
Good luck to Barca in the final.
gutted
I would have quit football and become a recluse or something far far far away somewhere in New Zealand, if that happened to me... This is unbelievable. But we got what we deserved for Drogba's constant inability to score a fucking goal against Valdes. And let's not mention the referee, we know we should have killed the match off regardless of that Norwegian man. God this sucks... Good luck to Barca...
I was preparing to go out for a couple of celebratory beers; now I'm going out to drown my sorrows. I doubt I'll post anything before the morning. To be honest, I'd like not to have to think about tonight's game ever again. Football is cruel sometimes.
Drogba's behaviour after the final whistle was pathetic.
Tom Ovrebo, the blind fuck!
Reply to chelseablog:
Actually, I was sort of pleased to see him showing that amount of passion.
Sky were a disgrace repeating it 10 minutes later and sort of pretending to be surprised by it.
I think if we were given the penalties and finished our chances we would have won 6-0. We only have ourselves to blame- we shouldn't have needed the penalties.
We should have had the game done and dusted. Droggles first touch early in the game when almost through summed it up for me. an utter waste.
Reply to Dylbo:
But you didn't. History books will only write about the finalists! Rome next! FUCK THE BLUES! And so we did. Lalalalalalala!
Reply to charliet:
one shot on target hardly constitutes 'fucking' us as you suggested- i pity your wife.
Good luck in the final.
Sky Sports reckon Barcelona had 70% possesion. Can that be right?
What was that, 3 maybe 4 penalties?
Malouda in the box, Abidal on Drogba were dead certs. Pique's handball and Toure's push on Anelka - well I've seen them given. The one at the end, Toure's handball? Again, I've seen them given, but less so than the others. Fucksake. At least justice will be done as United will rip apart that Barca defence, especially with no full backs. A 4-3-3, with Rooney and Ronaldo on the wings will destroy them.
So fucking pissed off.
Mother of God.
Also, mimi-rant, what's with English cunts supporting Barca??? You've never fucking been to Spain you chav, get a grip and support the English side. I certainly have no love for United, but I know who I'll want to win in Rome.
a victory for football? In the end the best team lost... People go on about the 'majesty' of Barcelona, their 'beauty', and I certainly agree. The demolition of Madrid showed that, but this time tactics got the better of them. They were weak at full back already, with Malouda playing spectacularly against Alves, and Pique is too much Libero, not enough centre-half to play against a tough ST. We should have put at least another one past them on the counter. However, these matches do show one thing - once more, Guus Hiddinck is a tactical genius. The man really needs to stay at Chelsea. Pep Guardiola is NOT a tactical genius. He has one way of playing, and that is relying upon the brilliant technical ability of his front 6:
Henry Eto'o Messi
Xavi Iniesta
Toure
Tactically, he is incompitent - look what happened after Abidal went off. I spotted 3 different left backs at different times: Xavi, Alves and Pique(With Sergio Bouchets at CB). CLearly there was no real instruction...
On a more positive strike, can someone find me a better strike anywhere in the world this season than that Essien goal?
Unexpected turn of events, huh?
Anyone saw the crying boy on the kop?
We've been cheated before and we'll be cheated again. There is no doubt the ref was against us, but also made a howler with Abidal's red card. I would not expect to see him ref again in this competiton unless he is rewarded by UEFA for preventing what Platini et al patently didn't want to see. An all Englis final again.
Guus was magnificent in his post match interview, and kudos to Souness who summed up perfectly. he really is a superb and measured pundit.
Frankly I couldn't give a toss who wins the final. I for one will be elsewhere doing something more interesting.
Like watching some paint dry.
taking off drogba at barcelona with 10 men and a goal down...
fuck you guus hiddink!
Drogs was seriously hurt when he came off. He tried to play on for a while, but clearly couldn't. No possible blame attached to Hiddink there.
Warching live there were two perfectly obvious penalties: the first one (Malouda was fouled in the box, from where I was sitting you could quite clearly see the marks made by the boots in the turf, about 18 inches inside the line), and the Pique handball. I don't think the ref was consciously biased, I just think he was utterly incompetent and that he'd bought into the Barca myth completely. He was obviously afraid to penalise small fould in the box with a penalty, because big nasty mean Chelsea are the ones who commit nasty horrible fouls, whereas Barca are dewy-winged fairies who may accidentally trip someone from time to time but certainly don't deserve to lose a whole goal because of it.
Messi was fairly hopeless. I'd been looking forward to watching him and he did nothing of any use. Iniesta was horribly out of position but played well. Xavi was wonderful. But on the whole we looked like the better team.
I'll absolutely certainly be supporting Barca in the final, but they won't win. It's just not that hard to defend against them. The fact that no one in Spain can do it doesn't mean that it can't be done except by cheating. The Mancs will beat them.
I won't be watching either.
But Drogba was limping whether pretend or otherwise. I am gutted and it's hard to escape the feeling of being robbed, but on the other hand we really do need a striker. Drogba for all the other benefits he brings needs about 7 chances to score 1. Anelka is a mystery, the way he's been managed hasn't helped his confidence, but there were times during that game when Drogba had gone off and he was leading the line when he appeared not to be concentrating. If we had someone like Torres it could have been over by half time.
I'm not looking for scapegoats, but we've sort of realised deep down that some of these players aren't quite good enough to to quite take it to the next level.
Still the FA Cup, which I would have settled for after the Hull game.
Summer, will hopefully be interesting.
I still hope Guus stays. As Tony says he was class in the post-match interview. But god knows what will happen.
1. Firstly, Guus is a genius. I love Jose but in terms of tactics, Guus is on a whole new level. He nullified Barca for the whole game and keeping them down to one effort on goal over the 90 minutes wa absolutely incredible. His gameplan was perfect as we went out to frustrate them and to create chances on the break and we did. We may not have had too much of the ball but when we did get it there was only one side creating the chances and the only part of the game Guus couldn't control (apart from the ref) was the finishing, but in terms of tactics it was perfect.
2. Secondly, Guus' post match interview was brilliant. He was gracious in defeat but put forward the side's feeling of injustice and anger perfectly.
3. Thirdly, Richard Key's is a c*nt who knows nothing about football. Everytime the pundits wanted to talk about the ref, he kept bringing up Henry's shirt pull a week ago or Didier's "unacceptable behaviour." He should fuck off and let the real football people do the talking.
4. I also feel proud of the side's reaction. "We're animals!" "How could these footballers be role models?" "They shouldn't have done it." Well fuck that. Jose would have been proud of Didier as he showed he cared (after showing he can't finish) and the rest of the side knew that they had been robbed. Guus fully backed the players' reaction as when you are that close to reaching the final, having felt the pain of defeat in Moscow, anger boils over and you feel like hitting someone, as Ballack nearly did. As for Sky's coverage of the incident - well after a 4 minute ad break, to be surprised that didier swore at the camera? They wanted to show it and i wanted to see it, so well done.
5. Reflecting back on it, we'll never have a better chance of beating Barca. It sort of feels like Monaco again but with no Marquez, Puyol or Henry, playing at home, against 10 men and being 1-0 up, it's almost the ideal picture ad we should have got the second or kept it in the corner flag...
6. I brought it up after the Nou Camp game but Didier isn't a good finisher. Not even an average one. Anelka was also a pathetic front man.
7. We had some real heroes on the night; JT, Ashley, Essien, Lampard and best of all Malouda. I thought he was great and he deserved to crown his new found form with a final in Rome.
8. I love watching Barca and i feel they will beat Utd as Fergie isn't as good a tactician as Guus and he'll refuse to play for a 1-0. But with no shots on target, we deserved to win the game as all that beautiful football produced nothing. Xavi and Iniesta were brilliant but our tactics were perfect and beauty should not have beaten the beast. Can't wait for Paddy Barclay's idiotic response to this match.
9. And finally the ref. Disgraceful performance worthy of Anders Frisk. We still haven't lost to Barca with 11 men but some of those penalties were so obvious that they made me laugh when they weren't given. Abidal should never have been sent off and since that incident the ref rfused to give us any decisions. He needed to balance things up but after missing 3 stick on penalties he should be embarrassed. The players told Geoff Shreeves that Uefa didn't want another all English final and if not resorting to telling the ref to refuse any Chelsea appeals, hiring an absolute nobody who had recently officiated a couple of Barca games would only have helped the situation. I would have happily accepted losing to Barca's brilliance fairly but like this? It just feels wrong.
unlucky guys, robbed tonight
Yeah right..... you bunch of cheating chav fooks.
You deserve everything you get.
You reap what you sow.... the cheating and rolling and diving that ugly kunt drogba has done this year was paid back with interest tonight.
LOVE IT
Re the Drogba moment post match.
It's called passion and emotion and if I had been a player then I'd have been a far bigger handful to keep from the ref. Give me that any time rather than mercenary apathetic professionalism.
@ AGH57 - agreed on the striker fornt. Di Santo doesn't look the ticket to me, Anelka is superb but needs to be a front man with someone. Drogba on his day is also great, but really....compared to Torres, Arshavin, Rooney etc we are woefully short in the young destroyer department.
So there's 3 ways of looking at it:
1.) UEFA appointed a Norwegian ref as a scapegoat with the instructions to make it as hard as possible to have 2 English teams in the final again, no doubt Platini is enjoying a celebratory sniffle or two now.
2.) The ref was just out of his depth and the appointment was in good faith but badly miscalcultated. (yeah right!)
3.) The ref was corrupt.
Whichever it was, he had lost it totally by the end.
If a foreign team had already qualified for the final we would have had 3 or 4 penalties tonight and would be celebrating. The fact United are already there counted against us.
Never thought I'd say this but I hope United stuff them in the final.
Shut your cakehole you chav mug.
Got your burberry hat on?
Reply to haberdashers:
Habs - All very good points I agree entirely.
Was it John Cleese's character in Clockwise that said something along the lines of "...it's not the dispair, I can handle the dispair...it's the hope I can't handle" (or something along those lines).
That's where I am now!
Reply to Faceman:
Who let our village idiot out....
Reply to Faceman:
Cunt of the highest order. Fuck off back to your slum..or your cell.
I can't see what the big deal is about Drogba giving the ref an earful. The sainted Barca spent a week complaining about the ref from the last game. Which is worse, a whole club -- manager, players, fans, officials and tame press -- conducting a systematic campaign against a moderately competent referee, or one very angry man shouting at a referee for one minute following a game? But of course everyone loves to interpret Didier as a barbarian, because he's big, hyper-emotional, and African. It's a much better "story" than the real truth of that game, which is that although Barca pass the ball beautifully they're not all that good -- their crossing and shooting would have embarrassed West Brom -- and that big bad Chelsea (with their big scary emotional Africans, *shudder*) were the more impressive team.
Good luck to Barca though. Great story for them.
Very unlucky today..n barcelona had 1 shot on target..at the end I felt 4 ballack when he was running behind that so called ref..i wished he could punch him..anyway this is first time i will not be watching the final
Reply to Dylbo:
@58
Ditto, Dylbo.
One crap clearance and it's all gone horribly wrong. Shit.
Does us missing good chances forfeit our right to be awarded penalties? Apparantly so, according to some commentators & Sky phone-in people (although even some Mancs & Scousers think that we were robbed).
And why are Sky going on about Drogs behaviour and bad language after they showed a recording of it in full 10 minutes after it happened???
Barca players surrounding the ref and berating him after their sending off seems to be OK, but not for us at the final whistle.
And 1 more thing I AM PROUD OF CHELSEA
Gutted by the result but rather suspect that Barcelona are in for a rerun of the 1994 final with Man Utd in the AC Milan role.
Apparently Barca did have what it takes... No doubt Chelsea were hard-done by, but they have to make more of their chances. The tie already should have been 1-0 Chelsea coming back to London, and how Drogba failed to score on that quick break to start the 2nd half I will never know. Just one of those chances bagged and it was church for Barca. I also think Drogba's ranting at the end was classless. You can use the passion excuse if you like, but I don't see it that way... and I'm betting UEFA won't either.
Reply to Faceman:
Who is that aimed at or are people being wrongly directed from the "Britain's Got Talent" website again?
So frustrated that i even forgot to mention Essien scoring one of the best ever Champions Leagu goals.
I just feel sorry for our bunch of OAPs as players like John Terry, Frank, Ashley, Essien, Ballack and Didier deserve to win this trophy. Next season will be one of the final chances for these players and as Lampard mentioned, we just feel cursed in this competition.
And waching it on SSN, seeing presenters like Richard Keys laying in to Didier angers me as much as this ref. Why doesn't he try and imagine what it means to these players? It's not just a job when your favourite sandwich has run out in the canteen, it's playing football and playing at Chelsea. Football is more than just a job so why doesn't Keys shut his fat mouth and stop trying to deflect away from the fact that the "Hollywood Final" of Barca vs Utd should never be taking place.
Reply to Badapples:
We get the point but have you seen a more biased official? Apparently Hiddink has not.
LINK
I am actually surprised Ballack did not slap that piece of shit. And we all know what UEFA wants so we will take what we get.
worth a listen from old franky boy
LINK
Fuak Tom Ovrebo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know you guys have been at the door of the CL final a few times already, so I'll not add to your misery. 06/07 was a bad year for Barça and 07/08 was truly torturous, so I know the feeling. Chelsea played a very tough match. They kept to their strengths and stayed focused. We did as well. Losing a man after the restart was a blow, but the way calls were going, I knew it was bound to happen. Still, neither side gave up. We had one shot on target. One. Salud.
I didn't think about it 'til the Malouda penalty shout. We were 1-0 up, but I turned to a mate and said "this one's bent." It was just a feeling. Nothing I saw for the rest of the night changed that opinion and had we won I'd still be saying it.
Should have seen it coming. Just like Frisk, you take these blokes who referee Scando Ushited v the Backarseend of Norwhere week in week out and give them a chance at the big show; well who's more willing to lean the right way when required? Someone who can go back to the Prem, La Liga, Serie A or the Bundesliga or one of these eejits?
Yes we should have taken our chances, but at least we had a few, unlike our much vaunted opponents. I don't mind the draw, but the point of defending is that you do it without handling the ball or fouling the player in the box. That way you don't give away penalties. We didn't. They did. We didn't even allow a run into the box so they could fall over the imaginary leg until late on and then Messi was so embarrasing even that ref couldn't give it. But make no mistake, given a chance he would have.
Yes he booked Alves, up near the half way line. Yes he sent Abidal off but we only had a free kick. It's all about percentages.
The key here is that as long as it was 1-0 he just had make sure he didn't give us the chance to make it two.
Say what you like, I know I watched a bent game of football tonight. More fool us for not putting it beyond the ref. but I can't fault Hiddink or the team.
Maybe I'll feel a little less angry in the morning, but I was there and I know what I saw. I'm not normally a conspiracy theorist, but I don't buy the incompetence theory. That way it should fall out fairly evenly; it didn't.
We are still a small club to these people. That would not have happened to a G14 club.
Let's qualify for next years competition and then tell 'em to stick their two bob competition and small town referees.
Cross Channel Trophy anyone?
Oh and LTB has it right. Drogba was taken out by Piquet in the lead up to the sending off and wasn't running freely therefter.
Indeed although some may see it as a negative move we had a good deal of attacking play with Anelka up top.
It's pathetic to blame the referee.
That is what I heard all the time when Barça did not win in Nou Camp, where they really deserved to win.
Now take a look at the Chelsea reactions. Seriously, is this written by football fans or by idiots coincidentally wearing a blue shirt? It's the same people who were thrashing the Barça fans for blaming the ref earlier that are now cursing that Norwegian excuse for a ref (yes, he was horrible, but to both sides).
Look at it this way: Abidal got a red card, out of nowhere, and if Chelsea would've won, no one but the Barça fans would cared. Chelsea was denied a penalty (not 4, like someone suggested), but so was Barça when Henry got pulled down. The refs on both games made errors that can't be forgiven, but all in all, none of the teams was benefited by their odd decisions.
Reply to Jeroen:
Just out of curiosity, did you actually watch the game?
KTBFFH
No, I didn't, I made up my reaction based upon the news I heard.
What the fuck do you think? Of course I watched it. I watched every minute of the game in Barcelona and the one in London. Based on that, the only possible conclusion is that both teams were a good match: Hiddink's tactical approach really smothered Barcelona's offensive qualities. But 2 very unqualified refs (or at least in those games, perhaps they didn't have a good day) were the ones that made the games. Barça-Chelsea should've been 2-0, Chelsea-Barça should've been 2-1, if the refs were not so insecure.
Reply to Dylbo:
Just out of curiosity, did you?
There were a lot of people on this very blog complaining about Barca fans blaming the referee last week, and here we are one week later, when the result doesn't go your way, and you're doing the exact same thing.
I agree there was one, maybe two justifiable penalty shouts turned down. It happens all the time. As do dubious penalties being given.
And the red card was dubious at best. I don't think over the two legs the refereeing favoured either side.
Having said that he was a bad referee, but these conspiracy theories, get over yourselves. A bent referee to keep two English sides out of the final? Do you know how ridiculous that is?
I like how on this blog people are saying that when he gave terrible decisions your way, he was just trying to make sure people didn't think he was bent. Yeah right. He was just a bad referee and it affected both teams. Equally.
We got a goal after playing with ten men for half an hour, and you should’ve put us away earlier. End of story. Get a striker who can put away the chances you create and then ‘bent’ referee or no, we’ll see you in the final next year. Until then, enjoy your FA cup….