Barca v Inter

[defrocked priest]

Gut says bet on Milan haven't seen the odds.

 

[Colossal Squid]

It's BOLLOCKS to say that Mourinho's Chelsea were boring and defensive.

In his first year at Chelsea he had Robben and Duff racing down the wings tearing opponents apart. They scored BAGS of goals and it was GREAT viewing.

Just because he's so tactically astute that in games against very dominant attacking teams he sets his side up to counter their threat which results in low scoring games DOES NOT mean he's a purveyor of dull defensive football. Inter have scored MORE goals than any other team in Serie A this season, they're not just grinding out 1-0 victories.

I honestly don't understand all this animosity towards Mourinho, I think he's a LEGENDARY manager and great for the game

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Is there a 'cooler' man in football than Jose? I struggle to find one.
.

Mourinho is a completely unhinged egomaniac. I used to have a lot of time for him but his continual odd and provocative outbursts get tiresome and do little but make him appear child like, just as his OTT display at the end of tonight's game was less about rejoicing with the Inter fans and all about winding up the Barca fans. Liverpool fans were phoning Talksport in their droves last night saying how much they didn't want him back in English football and certainly not as a replacement for Benitez.

 

[The Modfather]

just as his OTT display at the end of tonight's game was less about rejoicing with the Inter fans and all about winding up the Barca fans. Liverpool fans were phoning Talksport in their droves last night saying how much they didn't want him back in English football and certainly not as a replacement for Benitez.

Christ can't a man celebrate after leading his team to a champions league final?

As for the scousers, why would they possible want a manager who has won league titles in 3 different countries, and lead 2 different teams to champions league finals, when they could be battling Everton for 7th place again?

 

[HseagullsH]

Christ can't a man celebrate after leading his team to a champions league final?

As for the scousers, why would they possible want a manager who has won league titles in 3 different countries, and lead 2 different teams to champions league finals, when they could be battling Everton for 7th place again?

It's sour grapes by Liverpool fans as they know they won't get him.

His next job will be Real Madrid I reckon..

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

of COURSE he played defensive tonight

he was defending a 2 goal lead against one of the best attacking teams of all time, and had 10 men

he would've been pretty bloody stupid to go all out attack now wouldn't he

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Christ can't a man celebrate after leading his team to a champions league final?

Ah yes I'm sure it means the world to a man who dismissively threw his Champions League medal into the crowd and disappeared from the pitch pretty sharpish after Porto's victory in the final. I'm not saying he's not entitled to celebrate, but that display was about so much more than the Inter fans and was all about Barca the way I saw it. This is after all a man who has slagged Italian football off on several occasions since taking charge at Inter.

 

[The Modfather]

Ah yes I'm sure it means the world to a man who dismissively threw his Champions League medal into the crowd and disappeared from the pitch pretty sharpish after Porto's victory in the final. I'm not saying he's not entitled to celebrate, but that display was about so much more than the Inter fans and was all about Barca the way I saw it. This is after all a man who has slagged Italian football off on several occasions since taking charge at Inter.

Perhaps you may wish to see it again Cheeky Monkey.

He clearly walks towards the Inter fans, and does not make any gestures towards any other part of the ground.

Even if had done, I do not see the problem. Surely we want characters in the game. They are few are far between at the moment. Pretty much every player/manager interviewed after a match is a dull as f**k, spouting the same cliches.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Perhaps you may wish to see it again Cheeky Monkey.

He clearly walks towards the Inter fans, and does not make any gestures towards any other part of the ground.

Even if had done, I do not see the problem. Surely we want characters in the game. They are few are far between at the moment. Pretty much every player/manager interviewed after a match is a dull as f**k, spouting the same cliches.

I'll admit I was only half watching his furious arm pumping, it just seemed OTT and provocative in a ground where there is obviously history for him and he must have known that such gestures wouldn't have done him any harm in terms of Real Madrid, where, as said above, I would put him next season.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Should the day ever come when Gus goes off to manage Uruguay and we were to have that sort of choice - then it would be Guardiola for me. Who would want that egomaniac hi-jacking the club ?


(quick trip to Fantasy Island there).

 

[Gwylan]

Hmm... Real Madrid sacked Fabio Capello just after he led them to their championship in years, saying that his type of efficient football wasn't exciting enough. If they didn't want Capello, I can't see them wanting more of the same from Mourinho.

Mourinho has said many times that he wants to get back to English football and he's pissed off with Italy. "But he yearns to settle down and “create something deeper”. He believes that England is the place to do that. “England is the country,” he said. “And my football is English football,” as he said in The Times at the end of last year.

If I were Liverpool's new owners, I'd be moving heaven and earth to get him but I don't think he'd go there. If 'Appy 'Arry's tax affairs get too complicated, Tottenham might be eyeing him up.I'm sure he'll be back though.

 

[Mtoto]

Great defensive display by Inter and over the two legs they deserved it. They kept Messi pretty quiet, though it took an incredible save to keep out a shot that might have opened the gates before half time. As for Pique's goal, if he was offside, then surely Inter's third - the one that ultimately beat Barca - in the first leg was offside too.

Ibrahimovic was a spare part in both games, and I thought the one player who might have made a difference over the two legs was Iniesta. He's that little bit more direct than Xavi, which is what you need when you are trying to force a way through a defence as well-organised as Inter's.

 

[NS Herald]

That game was an utter disgrace to the sport of football. The fans in the stadium and millions on telly were short changed and if UEFA are happy that it was a proper contest they are nuts.

Of course Milan were going to use every tool in the box to slow the game down and they did it brilliantly. However as a spectable it was utterly boring as at every opportunity Milan stopped playing football. All goal kicks, free kicks and throw in's took at least 20 seconds and their players fell over more times than Murray! If you counted up the actual playing time it was probably around 15-20 minutes per half.

Yes Barca were poor but they couldn't get any rythm into their play and the ref would have been justified in playing at least 15 minutes injury time in each half.

Yes Milan did a job but IMO lost respect for their tactics and football in general was badly let down last night.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Hmm... Real Madrid sacked Fabio Capello just after he led them to their championship in years, saying that his type of efficient football wasn't exciting enough. If they didn't want Capello, I can't see them wanting more of the same from Mourinho.

Mourinho has said many times that he wants to get back to English football and he's pissed off with Italy. "But he yearns to settle down and “create something deeper”. He believes that England is the place to do that. “England is the country,” he said. “And my football is English football,” as he said in The Times at the end of last year.

If I were Liverpool's new owners, I'd be moving heaven and earth to get him but I don't think he'd go there. If 'Appy 'Arry's tax affairs get too complicated, Tottenham might be eyeing him up.I'm sure he'll be back though.

As I said above, Liverpool fans were phoning Talksport in droves a few days back to register the fact if Benitez went the one man they didn't want was Mourinho. Tottenham are too small a club for him - Inter to THFC would be a pretty unambitious move imho, no matter how much talk of a new stadium/investment. He'd only come back to Shitey (Blighty) for Man Utd or Liverpool I would think.

 

[The Wizard]

That game was an utter disgrace to the sport of football. The fans in the stadium and millions on telly were short changed and if UEFA are happy that it was a proper contest they are nuts.

Of course Milan were going to use every tool in the box to slow the game down and they did it brilliantly. However as a spectable it was utterly boring as at every opportunity Milan stopped playing football. All goal kicks, free kicks and throw in's took at least 20 seconds and their players fell over more times than Murray! If you counted up the actual playing time it was probably around 15-20 minutes per half.

Yes Barca were poor but they couldn't get any rythm into their play and the ref would have been justified in playing at least 15 minutes injury time in each half.

Yes Milan did a job but IMO lost respect for their tactics and football in general was badly let down last night.

Another Barca basher throwing his toys out of the pram, Funny how you forget to mention all the diving and play acting from the Catalan's. Would you complain if we did that all the way to the premiership? No, thought not.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

Barcelona were hoist by their own petard. Their lad cheated by blatantly exaggerating the force and location of the hand in his face, and then they got more and more wound up by the Inter tactics in the second half, to the point where it was clearly limiting their ability to play their normal game. If you don't like it, lads, don't dish it out.

Mourinho was clearly pointing at the Inter fans at the end. It would have wound me up were I a Barca fan but it was within the bounds of acceptability, I think. Barca showed their 'class' by turning the sprinklers on in that section of the pitch so, having lost the first leg, cheated to ensure a red card and then failed to deal with the resulting consequences, and then churlishly tried to disrupt the victors' celebrations, natural justice was served by Inter's progression, IMHO.

 

[Gwylan]

As I said above, Liverpool fans were phoning Talksport in droves a few days back to register the fact if Benitez went the one man they didn't want was Mourinho. Tottenham are too small a club for him - Inter to THFC would be a pretty unambitious move imho, no matter how much talk of a new stadium/investment. He'd only come back to Shitey (Blighty) for Man Utd or Liverpool I would think.

I'm not so sure. The man has a massive ego and where's the challenge in taking on a club like Man U - the richest in the world - with a long history of success. Wouldn't it be more of a challenge to take a club just off the top, but who haven't one anything for years, to a new title. Spurs could afford him for sure.

I reckon that if he comes back to England, Liverpool (forget what fans are saying, they didn't want Gillett and Hicks taking over either but they got that) or Man C would be favourites but I think Spurs would be attractive to him.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Another Barca basher throwing his toys out of the pram, Funny how you forget to mention all the diving and play acting from the Catalan's. Would you complain if we did that all the way to the premiership? No, thought not.

I would, I don't want to be another Bolton or equivilent thank you very much. I'm happy playing the way we are, and if it takes an extra few years to get to the Premiership then so be it.

 

[arfer guinness]

That game was an utter disgrace to the sport of football. The fans in the stadium and millions on telly were short changed and if UEFA are happy that it was a proper contest they are nuts.

Of course Milan were going to use every tool in the box to slow the game down and they did it brilliantly. However as a spectable it was utterly boring as at every opportunity Milan stopped playing football. All goal kicks, free kicks and throw in's took at least 20 seconds and their players fell over more times than Murray! If you counted up the actual playing time it was probably around 15-20 minutes per half.

Yes Barca were poor but they couldn't get any rythm into their play and the ref would have been justified in playing at least 15 minutes injury time in each half.

Yes Milan did a job but IMO lost respect for their tactics and football in general was badly let down last night.

You have just witnessed one of the finest displays of defensive football you will ever see. Instead of moaning you should have watched the game in depth. Barcelona are regarded as the finest attacking side in the world with world class players and how many shots on goal did they have? They had to resort to long range punts which didn't even hit the target. If you knew anything about football you would have appreciated the masterclass Inter gave.

 

[Rookie]

You have just witnessed one of the finest displays of defensive football you will ever see. Instead of moaning you should have watched the game in depth. Barcelona are regarded as the finest attacking side in the world with world class players and how many shots on goal did they have? They had to resort to long range punts which didn't even hit the target. If you knew anything about football you would have appreciated the masterclass Inter gave.

I disagree it was not a masterclass it was what teams like Bolton away to Chelsea or Man Utd do, basically stick 10 behind the ball and hope. They got luck but it could have been oh so different if Messi's effort had gone in or the Bojan 'goal' counted.
Personally I don't like that way of football but having said that full credit to them because they made Barca look bad (not helped by the waste of space that is Zlatan).