Barca v Inter

[NS Herald]

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 watched the game in depth and if you thought that was a masterclass I feel sorry for you.

I can't think of too many people who would want to pay shed loads of money to watch such a masterclass when most of what happened was NOT football.

It may have been successful but if that is what my team served up on a regular basis I would rather do something else - probably watching paint dry would be more interesting.

 

[The Wizard]

I watched the game in depth and if you thought that was a masterclass I feel sorry for you.

I can't think of too many people who would want to pay shed loads of money to watch such a masterclass when most of what happened was NOT football.

It may have been successful but if that is what my team served up on a regular basis I would rather do something else - probably watching paint dry would be more interesting.

Football isn't just about attacking flair, at times, teams need to defend for their lives. Inter did that incredibly last night. Are you seriously telling me, if you were in their position, 3-1 up going to the Nou Camp against the best attacking team in the world bar none, you would go with an attacking mindset?

If you would, you're a fool. I also enjoyed last nights game, defensive master class at its finest. Bye Bye Barcelona.

 

[pasty]

I watched the game in depth and if you thought that was a masterclass I feel sorry for you.

I can't think of too many people who would want to pay shed loads of money to watch such a masterclass when most of what happened was NOT football.

It may have been successful but if that is what my team served up on a regular basis I would rather do something else - probably watching paint dry would be more interesting.

Inter did what was required. Simple as that. If they had tried to play Barca at their own attacking game, then in all probability they would have got well and truly mullered.

As it is, Inter Milan are in the Final of the Champions League. Barcelona are not. End of story. People can bleat all they like about "the beautiful game" and Inter playing "anti-football". Well If I were an Inter fan right now, I wouldn't give a flying f***. I'd be planning my trip to Madrid for the final, not giving 2 hoots about how we got there.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

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.

Alves's dive was a disgrace

 

[sten_super]

It was a fantastic display from Inter.

It was a pretty shocking game of football.

The two are not mutually exclusive.

 

[JJ McClure]

Always hated Lucio and do even more now, but it was a great team effort from Inter to stiffle Barca. For a team thats supposed to be so great they didn't exactly do a very good job of breaking them down. Horror of horrors I also found myself agreeing with Andy Townsend at the end when he said he was glad Inter got through just because BISCUIT cheated to get the fella sent off.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

The two are not mutually exclusive.

Always a fantastic phrase to slip into any NSC post.

 

[NS Herald]

Football isn't just about attacking flair, at times, teams need to defend for their lives. Inter did that incredibly last night. Are you seriously telling me, if you were in their position, 3-1 up going to the Nou Camp against the best attacking team in the world bar none, you would go with an attacking mindset?

If you would, you're a fool. I also enjoyed last nights game, defensive master class at its finest. Bye Bye Barcelona.

So football is not about entertainment or value for money then

Having witnessed some of our and other teams defending prowess I am well aware about that side of the game. But the point is they only had to defend for about 20-30 minutes out of 90. The rest of the time was 'dead', there was nothing happening, zilch, nada - exceot for waiting for the ball to be put back into play.

You obviously don't go to watch a game of football as there wasn't one last night. There was the occasional bit of action and then more time wasting than I've ever seen before.

I suspect many people who thought their display was of the highest order was largely because they were happy to see Barcelona lose.

Yes the Spanish can also be cheating, time wasting degos but I'm happy you felt you witnessed a masterclass from the best of the best :US:

 

[pasty]

I suspect many people who thought their display was of the highest order was largely because they were happy to see Barcelona lose.

And I suspect many people who are moaning about Inters defensive tactics are largely doing so because they wanted Barcelona to win.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I can't get excited about a Portuguese manager picking a completely non-Italian side, then using ultra-defensive tactics to get to the final.

Once the English clubs go out I usually plump for the team that plays the best attacking football, because to see teams that attack win trophies is good for the game.

So whilst I respect Inter and admire Mourinho I'll be supporting Bayern in the final.

 

[Acker79]

While I'm not going to argue that Inter played entertaining football, I do hate the attitude that an ineffective impotent attacking team with a defence that can't hold out is thought of as more worthy of a win because they tried (and failed) to score 25 times whereas their opponents, whose defence stood strong in the face of 25 attacks, and whose attack had maybe two or three opportunities and is clinical enough to convert one or more of them are deemed to have stolen it.

You win a game of football by scoring more than you concede. If you do that through clinical finishing and a tight defence you have earned the victory just as much as if you take a "we'll score one more than you" attitude and give up on one half (defence) of the game.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Yeah, but they lost the match and that disallowed goal could have gone the other way.

 

[arfer guinness]

I watched the game in depth and if you thought that was a masterclass I feel sorry for you.

I can't think of too many people who would want to pay shed loads of money to watch such a masterclass when most of what happened was NOT football.

It may have been successful but if that is what my team served up on a regular basis I would rather do something else - probably watching paint dry would be more interesting.

So you would quite happily like to have someone like Kevin Keegan to manage us, not many managers could so gloriously surrender a league title like he did, but he was entertaining. Inter do not serve that display on a regular basis, they've averaged 2 goals scored per game in Seria A, only Norwich can match that feat in our division. I for one would give my right arm to see Brighton be able to do that and also defend to the highest level like Inter did last night.

 

[Acker79]

Yeah, but they lost the match and that disallowed goal could have gone the other way.

Was that in response to me? Yeah, they did, it could have. I didn't mean my post to specifically regard to last night's match, just the general attitude of a team that attacks so much but can't break down the defence deserving it more than a team that defends so well (not sure I'd include time wasting, diving, roughing up the opponents specifically as good defending,m so not sure last night's alone counts with the argument) that annoys me.

Though, personally I don't find goals as exciting as the ebb and flow of momentum, the passion with which goals are fought for and defended against, sometimes the epicaricacy of an over-hyped/rival/friends' favourite team failing, the empathy of the underdog/underappreciated/friends' favourite team in battle that leads you on an emotional journey through the moments of doubt and hope, fear and elation, that is what I love about football. Goals are almost an afterthought to me.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

And I suspect many people who are moaning about Inters defensive tactics are largely doing so because they wanted Barcelona to win.

I wanted Barca to go through as I find them more entertaining.

I agree Barca dived and feigned injury, a lot more than they usually do which was a shame, but then so did Inter. If anyone believes Inter would not have done the same had the score been reversed then they are a little stupid.

Both teams were as bad as each other in my opinion in that respect.

So then it comes down to the actual football, and Inter completely out thought Barca.

If Barca had Iniesta playing I really think he would have made the difference.