Champions League 2012/2013

Keita has been a huge miss for Barca. He started most of their away Champions League semi finals over the past few years I'm sure.

Abidal and Puyol have been huge misses as well.

 

I disagree. If you want to pass the ball about, defenders who can pass the ball are vital. The best centre backs in the world at the moment are all good ball players.

It's their system that needs altered. They have changed quite a bit under Tito. Their play is spread much more, with players, particularly the two wide forwards, hugging the touchline. The players aren't as close together and it shows when they don't have the ball. They no longer chase and press in packs because the players are far apart and they can't do it. This leaves huge gaps, especially when Alves and Alba push forward, and the lack of pressing gives teams time to pick passes. As a result they concede more goals. Pushing both fullbacks forward at the same time effectively means only 2 defenders are back defending, which stretches them as well.

The players aren't the problem.

 

* knows how many youngsters who could've been great defenders slipped under Barca's radar simply because they lacked the talent to pass the ball. Barca must learn to separate the duties of the 3 basic groups of players: defense, midfield and attack. * having Pique showboat with the ball and think he's a great technical player. A defender's best and wisest course of action is to get the ball to the nearest teammate, even if it means telling someone to pick it up if he's not confident in his own passing. Balde over Pique, always and any day of the week, in my book.

 

Mate, Pique IS a great technical player. How many players do you see doing this, let alone defenders?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Ps9HeGS-Y"]Barcelona 1-0 Inter - CL 2010 Semi-Final 2nd leg Aggregate 2-3. Goal - YouTube[/ame]

There defensive woes weren't apparent last season, or the season before, it's only this season that they've have been prominent.

There is nothing wrong with defenders being technically good. Mats Hummels, Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos, Vincent Kompany, all are good ball players.

It isn't just Barca who play defenders that can play football, most top teams do as well.

I'd rather have Pique to be honest. A guy who has 3 Champion's League medal's, an EPL medal, 3 La Liga medal's, 2 Copa Del Rey's, 2 FIFA Club World Cup's and 2 UEFA Super Cup's at club level and won the World Cup and Euro's at international level. Aye he's *.

 

He does that, but he was made a fool by Bayern's players. For all that showboating, he can't defend properly. David May has a lot of medals too, and he's widely claimed as *.

 

He was poor, as were the whole team. Their system and weaknesses let them down, not individual performances. David May won 5 trophies. And played 85 games in 9 years, not the sign of a regular. Pique was a regular in all of those, bar the EPL and CL won at Utd. The odd * player will win some trophies as a squad member. * players don't win everything that's worth winning in football as a regular player.

 

The whole concept they build their team on has let them down. Pique and Valdes are mediocre at their primary roles, at best.

 

They'll win the league by a mile and got to the Champions League semi final. They got smashed admittedly, but it's something they can fix with a change of tactics, not by changing the concept that they use to build there team. That has been successful, and can't be denied.

Valdes, I agree is a poor goalkeeper. I disagree completely on Pique. He was an integral part of a team that conceded 3 goals over two international tournaments. Bad defenders don't win what he has won. I wish Celtic had defenders as bad as Pique.

 

Also, he's * Shakira. I'm surprised he has the time to play football.

 

Guivarc'h was part of the France team that won the 1998 WC. It is tragic that Pique is perhaps Barca's tallest player, yet he's not that great in the air. Because some * coach thought passing was more important than heading for a CB. Zombie FC could teach them a thing or two about defending, FFS.

 

pique is a cracking cb, its just hes had many different players alongside him this season, Adriano, bartra, Montoya. If he had a kompany or a hummels then the defence would be sorted.

I think its equally important tbh, maybe more so in spain when football is played from the back, too many kids are taught to lump it to the big lad at school level in the uk and we are reaping what has been sowed for many years, I wish a lot more emphasis would be placed on passing here in Ireland and the uk.
And as for your last part stating a certain club would teach Barcelona how to defend please stop spouting such total *.

 

And never scored a goal. Pique was part of a defence that conceded 3 goals over two tournaments. Teams with * defenders don't concede 3 goals over two international tournaments, teams with * defenders concede goals. Guivarc'h was the UEFA Cup's top scorer the season prior to the World Cup, scoring more goals than Ronaldo. Players will have a good season every now and then when they're poor players. Poor players are not an integral player in international teams that win consecutive tournaments, or club teams that are widely regarded as the best ever and win everything worth winning.

Pique is a great defender and is great in the air. He's also great with his feet.

If you're right and Barca are wrong, why are more teams passing the ball about these days? Why is possession key? Going by your theory, Stoke should have the best defence their is. At present, technical skills are the most important thing a player in any position can have. Even centre back. It's no surprise that the best centre backs in the world at the moment are all fantastic ball players.

 

Xavi and Iniesta can mask the inability of the defenders to do their job, if the opposing team hasn't got the right tactic to break the eternal cycle of passing. And Pique is criminal in the air. Muller is shorter than him, yet wins almost every time.

 

Defenders who can't defend don't play for teams that don't concede goals, regardless of whether Xavi and Iniesta pass the ball around all night.

Muller isn't exactly short. I don't even remember him coming up against Pique, it was mostly Bartra. Height has nothing to do with how good you are in the air anyway. Henrik Larsson was fantastic in the air, as is Puyol. Neither are that tall.

Name me a top class defender that isn't a good technical player? I think you'll struggle.

 

Vidic of Man Utd isn't technically that good

 

Terry and Vidic and Samuel were quality a few years back at their best and werent the best ball players, Stam and Puyol too although they were a bit better than the other three.

But aye most of the best defenders are good on the ball the likes of Ferdinand, Nesta, Desailly, Hierro, Thuram, Maldini, Cannavaro, Ayala, Sammer, Baresi, Kompany, Hummels, Lucio, T.Silva, Pique and that.

 

Vidic can't handle strikers with pace. Not one of the elite CB's imo.

I await being remonstrated by all the fanboys though of course.

 

He wasnt elite like one of the best ever but he was quality and would have got a game for most teams same as John Terry even though people dont like him he was a quality defender too.

Sometimes not that good a footballer can be really good and influential players like Makelele and Gattuso, Stam, Vidic, Terry, Kohler, Montero, Samuel, Gary Neville, Lavezzi, Walcott.

 

Players like Terry and Vidic were good a few years ago. But football has moved on since then and technical skills are more important. There are very few defenders like them anymore. There are very few top players that aren't technically great anymore. It's not that surprising that they (Terry and Vidic) are no longer guaranteed starters.

Even at Celtic, Charlie Mulgrew isn't the best we have at defending, but he would be my first choice centre back. Simply because he's a good footballer. I really wish Lenny would stop playing him in midfield. :icon_mrgreen: