Phoenix
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 6,814
- Reaction score
- 1,419
UEFA Champions League: FC Barcelona vs Chelsea FC: Keys to Victory
CRISIS!!!! If we truly believed every word the media published, I think it’s safe to say the world as we know it would cease to exist. Speculation and sensationalism are rife in modern media, so much so that it’s hard to distinguish where the opinion ends and the facts begin. For example, having suffered two successive losses, some journalists are claiming that Barcelona are not only in decline, but have been knocked off their pedestal. According to some, Barcelona’s indomitable brand of possession football remains highly marketable, but is losing its edge, while its arch-enemy Catenaccio has finally caught up.
As Roberto Di Matteo proved last week, Barcelona’s variation on Total Football is not without its weaknesses and Jose Mourinho reinforced that point on Saturday. However, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to dress it up, both sides went out with a game-plan at least inspired by Catenaccio. While Barcelona fans (and players) attract a lot of criticism for their "superiority complex", I think it’s worth mentioning that the support shown to the Catenaccio-based tactics by fans of each club and the subsequent criticism (whether direct or implied) of tiki-taka indicates a superiority complex towards Catenaccio or the counter-attacking philosophy.
Regardless of that, we cannot escape the fact that Barcelona have had difficulty breaking down these ultra-defensive tactics, and while I hesitate to admit that Barcelona are in crisis, a Plan B would be nice. So, with that in mind, here are a couple of keys to victory and a rather abstract idea for a Plan B.
http://www.barcablaugranes.com/2012...ue-fc-barcelona-vs-chelsea-fc-keys-to-victory
CRISIS!!!! If we truly believed every word the media published, I think it’s safe to say the world as we know it would cease to exist. Speculation and sensationalism are rife in modern media, so much so that it’s hard to distinguish where the opinion ends and the facts begin. For example, having suffered two successive losses, some journalists are claiming that Barcelona are not only in decline, but have been knocked off their pedestal. According to some, Barcelona’s indomitable brand of possession football remains highly marketable, but is losing its edge, while its arch-enemy Catenaccio has finally caught up.
As Roberto Di Matteo proved last week, Barcelona’s variation on Total Football is not without its weaknesses and Jose Mourinho reinforced that point on Saturday. However, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to dress it up, both sides went out with a game-plan at least inspired by Catenaccio. While Barcelona fans (and players) attract a lot of criticism for their "superiority complex", I think it’s worth mentioning that the support shown to the Catenaccio-based tactics by fans of each club and the subsequent criticism (whether direct or implied) of tiki-taka indicates a superiority complex towards Catenaccio or the counter-attacking philosophy.
Regardless of that, we cannot escape the fact that Barcelona have had difficulty breaking down these ultra-defensive tactics, and while I hesitate to admit that Barcelona are in crisis, a Plan B would be nice. So, with that in mind, here are a couple of keys to victory and a rather abstract idea for a Plan B.
http://www.barcablaugranes.com/2012...ue-fc-barcelona-vs-chelsea-fc-keys-to-victory