CL back in two weeks, everything else looking kinda grim imo (Serie A excluded)

My only hope is that Utd doesn't catch City.

I don't really care if Leicester wants to win it though.

2 monumental fuck ups by umtiti in the back to gift granada two goals.

barca dominated possession and it was good attacking possession--15 saves by their goalie and 3 shots hit woodwork.

88th minute--still down 2-0. messi cross, griezzman beautiful goal. 90+2? messi -> griez -> ALBA HEADER?!?!

then griezzy score to take the lead in the OT period only to get a weak penalty called to go 3-3, then barca just said "fuck this" and scored twice to end it.

wild.

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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

Is there a new Griezzy + Alba connection forming? He provided the assist for both of Jordi's goals. The second assist was pretty too.

Seems Griez has been gaining in confidence recently *fingers crossed*

And Frenkie stay scoring too!

combined with FDJ making runs into the box, it's fun to watch again now. a clear gala XI is also nice, as is using Puig as a sub--his energy at 70 minutes really helps. it's a good transition role for him into being a starter.

just need the defense to stop the mental fuckups and umtiti's speed is a liability until he gets to Pique level positional awareness so he can't get outsprinted by fucking soldado.

also nice to see how much it mattered to the players. that was a really positive moment, hopefully they can build on it.

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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

they're not a CL favorite by a longshot, but they look much better.

key differences:
-araujo today >>>> defender than anyone last year (pique looked gassed and super frustrated and lets his emotion take him out of games. Pique still better than araujo, but the gap is smaller than people want to acknowledge)
-Dest >> roberto and more athletic which helps. and roberto in a rotation >>>>> roberto as regular
-FDJ in the right position. good god does he look unstoppable now
-Pedri >>>>>> rakitic/vidal. much better possession and creation and plays within the system well

add in griez actuall in form and dembele healthy and when fati returns too, and the attack is much better.

Bayern would still beat them, but it wouldn't be so crushing.
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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

But after not just Bayern, but Roma and Liverpool CL disasters, I fully expect Busquets and Alba's defense (or do I trust Pique's) to be an insurmountable handicap in big KO ties. Busquets has been their single biggest problem in big games these past 3 years, I simply don't understand how he ever sees the field for them anymore. Massive liability. Would rather have Puig, or Sergio Roberto (or even Pjanic, or Alena if he was still around) starting ahead of him. Frustrating because with a good coach, 1 or 2 more defenders, and without Busquets, they could be great.

Pjanic ain't it for cover, though--really similar problems. I do think Koeman, with his Roberto sub (before he got injured for another month...) is thinking similarly to you and I like that. and I hear really good things about Jandro at B for CDM in the future. In the bits of barca b i've watched, he looks promising.

Puiq's defensive positioning is kinda a mess for him to play a full 90.

Re defenders: Garcia's coming over the summer, so that should help with the backline. I still hold a small grudge w/ Lucho over his Grimaldo hatred. Man...grimaldo could have solved so many problems. ANd Miranda's not looking quite good enough and Balde's yet to play for barca b. LB is just a complete question mark behind alba, who is himself such a question mark of a player. Dest can cover, but if he does, then roberto or minqueza plays RB and i dont like that option.


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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

also, woof--riqui/pjanic/busi just doesn't make sense as a midfield. glad to see the team pull off another come from behind win, but that was just not good in the first half.

pjanic was getting roasted, and that's fair because he wasn't good enough but busi was just awful sunday. when he's got control of the game, he can still be stellar. but that's a shaky proposition and he needs more mobile players around him to help and that's not pjanic.

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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

He is the weak link and will continue to doom Barca in big games as he has for 3 years now. Maybe there's really no replacement, since De Jong doesn't play exactly the same role and Sergi Roberto even if healthy is versatile but not exactly an elite DM.

I might play FDJ-Puig-Pedri. Or even go 3 at the back against big teams. Anything but Busquets. Seen that movie too many times now.

the races for 1st and 4th take twists and turns every week

Man City’s defense used to be comical as fock. They would
beat you by scoring tons of goals. That was the formula behind some of
of his EPL titles. Man City games we’re pretty much a Lock to go over 3
goals. And it also allowed for teams to score and get the upset.

But now?

If City scores two goals, it’s over. They will stop the attack and go defensive,
and shut teams down. They are winning games with low ass scores. And they
are doing it without their heavyweight players. No Aguero. no KDB. No walker.
No Ake.

Stones used to be the laughing stock of the league...but now he is on some
John Terry shit.

No more with just sending everyone forward to blitz the scoreboard. They are closing
down gaps, pushing teams wide, not allowing SOGs, tracking back and dominating
possession.

We saw it with Kaka, bale, James, and Higuain.
Now we are seeing with Hazard. He is injured again.
That’s ten injuries in 1 1/2 years.

Players are constantly on the shelf injured. The team is never whole.

Back in 2016, when Ronaldo was dealing with ankle injuries,
he dropped Real Madrid’s medical staff and went with his own doctors.
He hasn’t looked back since.

Belgium national team is going to have to intervene or something,
or he is going to have to go with his own people.

https://twitter.com/XavsFutbol/status/1357360736805285889?s=20

im amazed they've never gotten one of their players legs folded the fuck up doing leg press like this

His people has to be in his ear about it...At this point , go with your own trainers
and doctors or get the fock out of there.

Lineup looks good. Hoping for the best.

I always thought Mourinho would bring them down to his level at some point but boy it ain't pretty when it happens

just a lifeless and uninspired first half performance from spurs and chelsea had only one shot on target. tuchel does seem to be building something though. apparently players have clear instructions and it's showing on the pitch to mostly positive results (rumor has it frank did not give clear tactical instructions).

tuchel is a manager that should be coaching at the higher levels of the spot, while frank was clearly not ready for a job at a top spot. big difference there.

Lots of balls bouncing around the Spurs box with guys kind of swinging wildly at them, rather than settling and finding an open man or taking a step for a better shot. Sort of hacking away up there rather than staying patient.

I don't know. Maybe that was just a few sequences.

https://twitter.com/TW11I/status/1357498830799982594

4 goals and two clean sheets. You love to see it.

what a goal
Rashford's cross on the first goal was a1 too

you have to throw yourself at that like a flying squirrel

i'd prefer we bring someone in to compete for the job w/ him rather than just handing it to him like i am sure they want to

This isn’t Hockey. Get your arse up outta here.

https://youtu.be/LQyR_dVPImE

What do they use when they show the starting lineups?

Go say goalkeeper in hockey and see what happens.
Google search goalie, nothing but hockey comes up.

It allows you to know if someone is talking about hockey or soccer.

You know darn well GK is predominantly used in soccer.

Anyway, I was just messing with him and he knows it.

but it's weird AF.

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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

Allison, though. Weird.

Loris Karius shit.

I think City already had the title wrapped up but this seals it.

Gotta secure a top 4 now and come back next year with Big Virg and our best midfielders playing in midfield.

they have an incredible schedule left to play.

the whole rest of the top 11 is left to go, with 2 against Everton oddly

I don’t see them dropping that many, especially doing it while anyone behind them doesn’t drop any.

Hahahaha down goes Liverfool.

And just like that we are right upon that 4th spot!

I was already dubious as far as our chances, but now it's gonna rely on Mbappe hero-ball even more so even if we go through it's gonna be tedious af to watch

But wow, LFCs season is collapsing.

The reds have been put to rest, and may they deep sleep
in the abyss of the middle table with Aston Villa.

The Blues have come to take over.

MC,LC,Chelsea,Everton....I would love to see the top 4 finish
like that.

Good times.

The club has fucked him in more ways than one, but he has really looked like he's having a good time playing with the youngsters these past few weeks and he could usher in a new era ... But, he's probably going to City :o(

If y’all do not want him, send him right on over.

We will give you Werner.

What I don't understand is why Willian came on in lieu of Pepe, who was unlucky to be dropped

Bukayo Saka is so so sooo good!

I mean he was on fire when he came to Arsenal about a year ago or so.
Arteta took over, and he seems to have fallen out of favor.

I remember when he was with Lyon, I wanted him badly after Conte got rid of
Diego....Board never made a move.

Why do you guys want to sell him?

lol

I was gonna say Ziyech, but that'd be a bit much for laca. Obviously Mount is off limits, for no good reason.

Pulisic & arsenal training staff will get along great.

Mount has been Chelsea’s best player this year, him and Mendy.

I thought he was going to be nailed to the bench by Tuchel ..nope

Boy is too good....

You just had to take a shot at Mount.

>You just had to take a shot at Mount.

But you motherfockers will kneel.

Smut, I see you in my rear view mirror now.

I’ll give my review on the game later.

Especially a Steve Bruce Newcastle side.

Magilla, party of one.

Your waiter will now take you to your middle table.

Sir, I can add another chair. It appears your colleague, Smut,
will be joining you in a few weeks.

Mbappe good.

And he keeps scoring.

draxlers dribble could go on a coaching video about making a defender commit to a decision

and veratti's little flick was a beaut

excellent finishes tho, and his first one had a sweet little dribble to the left to get free

debacle of a coaching performance. your midfield was shit and...you just kept playing them. and you rotate 3 of 4 defenders in for this? christ.

busi and pedri were both bad. just a lot of bad touches and lack of urgency and koeman didn't make a sub till 75 minutes in (other than Dest which was probably pre-planned due to his return from injury)?!?!?

no chance messi stays after barca show how far behind we are to other UCL squads.
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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

Busquets and Pique. Pique who is playing his first game in 3 months. What is the fucking logic?
We've got young, fast, athletic defenders who have been playing week in and week out in Mingueza and Araujo and Pique benches them? And Lenget has been terrible this year. How does he start? Even Umtiti has been somewhat returning to form. And the way Jordi Alba has cost in big games recently? Firpo much?

Just terrible.

Araujo is injured. He definitely would have/should have started.

hindsight says minqueza too, but Dest probably couldn't play a full 90 and maybe koeman was scared to risk minqueza and dest on at same time with minqueza only cover at RB? (I'm reaching, I know)

Busquets was abominable and misplaying passes. he simply can't keep up with elite midfields anymore and it's been obvious for years. Pedri clearly looked rattled and Veratti feeds off that shit too. but pjanic's looked almost as bad recently.

even take away injuries and let aruajo play and rearrange your starters and play roberto for busquets (best possible replacement, i think, on the current squad) and it probably would have lost 2-1 or 3-2 but it wouldn't have been fucking embarrassing. and maybe if ansu fati were healthy it'd compete, but then tbf, you'd have to give PSG neymar and yeah...barca's a step behind right today.

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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

>Mbappe good.

I'm not sure if I'm happier about that or that insane result. Haven't watched anything, at this stage I'm just relieved my 8month old baby girl can sleep in a room above 50 degrees, but maaaannn I listened to the last 5 minutes on the radio and was honestly shook

Off to find a replay on cbs.com

You’re in the states?

I’ve been shoveling snow all week. Midwest was hit an artic blast and tons
of snow.

not gonna celebrate until the second leg is in the bag obvs, a dragon is never more dangerous than when it's wounded

Happy to hear you and yours are alright.

this shit is so fucked

And all are struggling. Hope power and water comes back to all soon

Away goal bonanza.

both playing off like a Wesley Sneijder

cause im looking at this roster and it doesnt seem like Pirlo is getting a lot out of these guys

>cause im looking at this roster and it doesnt seem like Pirlo
>is getting a lot out of these guys

Of course, Chelsea is now guaranteed to score within two minutes of me posting this.

Around minute 15 the camera spent a lot of time cutting to Tuchel on the touchline, where he was shouting and grimacing and moaning every 30 seconds or so. I remember thinking, damn, man, you that pissed off this early?

Then post-match says something like he didn't like CHO's body language. Hm. Aight.

The lack of quality in the final third is what led to the draw.

Alonzo and Reece both missed easy goals. I’m talking really easy goals.
This has plagued this team since the beginning of the season.

And the back three on the goal by SH were all over the place. We need to
to get Silva back ASAP.

As far as Tuchel’s mannerisms, it was nothing to outrageous. I’ve seen more insanity
from Mourinho and Conte, who was a damn mad man.

We got a point and are still top 4. We are good.

You need to speak louder. You’re too far down the table.

What’s that you say?

Oh, yeah, tell Grealish Mount says hello.

Wake me up next domestic season.

Grealish out today and next week. Cash probably for a month. Here we go!

That's a tough attack to deal with.

Get in!!!

alba gets time just because there isn't any LB worth playing (Firpo ain't it) behind him. griez at least does what the squad needs of him, except, of course, score regularly.

but it's over. the generation is gone. Pique and messi are lifers who can teach the barca way.

but the squad should just turn over to the youth now.

the regular 11 should be
MatS
dest/pique (or Minqueza)/araujo (Minqueza till he's healthy)/Alba
FdJ/Pedri/Puig with Roberto as rotation
Dembele or Trincao/Messi/Griez (with some minutes for Konrad)

And Fati once he's healthy always in the lineup.

And bring Collado and Jandro up for spot minutes too.

take the L on this year and look to next year.
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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

Club wasted the past two years of Messi magic pretending otherwise.

Also, Pique isn't good enough to play in big games anymore either.

but it didn't have the youth to do so. FDJ, Pedri, Trincao, Dest, and Araujo weren't at barca. Fati was in juvenil b, puig not yet in barca b, and minqueza too.

the youth back then would have been alena/arthur in midfield and cuenca/todibo at CB and cucurella or Miranda at LB and perez and malcom as wingers. I'll take this year's youth over the prior versions by a mile.

This year, the youth look like they're actually a good base for the future. Prior years barca was also dealing with the debacle that was la masia under rosell/barto.


(i will say I wish Cucu had gotten a chance at LB and i still think alena could be useful in the squad)

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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

Yes. I mean it's been clear that Busquets and the entire defense just aren't good enough.

Fully agree, still wish Cucurella and Alena were on the squad. How's Alena doing on loan so far?

had a couple nice highlights early and plays pretty regularly. getafe's boss spoke about hoping to keep him after loan is up, which i take as both a good sign and bad.

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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

I might even be okay with Mingueza at RB, with Araujo and Umtiti at CB if Big Sam keeps looking good. Idk about Dest. He looked pretty good early, less so lately. Idk about Firpo vs Alba at this point. Jordi has almost single handedly lost way too many important games for us. I've seen Firpo make a few costly mistakes, but I'm willing to put Alba on the bench for a while and see what comes.

shoot me

when we had the chance.

If she were the TD back in 2011, we would have missed out on
Hazard.

He is the main reason why MU is good.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/manchester-city/story/4322311/man-city-boss-guardiola-on-villas-grealish-probe-team-leaks-unprofessionalunethical

https://www.thisisanfield.com/2021/02/clubs-wary-of-fantasy-premier-league-issue-that-saw-robbo-reveal-sadio-mane-injury/

lol

Will have an incredible goal every now and then.

Good as an energizer. Buts that it. 15/30 mins a game.

We got the win. That’s all that matters against a park the bus team.

Great ass goal though.

and up until that goal he was a passenger.

BUT... he should be top choice striker over Abraham. Tammy is not a week in week out starter for a top 4-6 Premier League side.

and if not I hope we get him. what a player

>and if not I hope we get him. what a player

Honestly, at the rate he's developing, he's destined for Madrid, Bayern or Barca

I can't handle the idea of losing Saka till he's at least 23; so four more years. Four More years!

>I can't handle the idea of losing Saka till he's at least 23;
>so four more years. Four More years!

That is what Zlatan recently stated about Lebron James and other athletes.
He stated that they should focus only on sports, and stay out of
politics.

Just... epic.

One point back of the Merseyside clubs. Villa comin, y’all.

our other results are a 0-1 L to Arsenal and the Tottenham debacle. embarrassing stuff this season.

I hate this team at times. We have zero finishers, just creators.

So many balls in the box that weren’t played correctly, or that we miss hit.
Being poor in the final third is our issue. Just so much you can chalk up to youth,
at some point you have to start questioning the talent.

And I don’t know if the talent is there. Most of these players don’t pass
the eye test.

Also, Pulisic, Werner, Ziyech and Havertz can be pushed off the ball so
easily. Where is the on the ball strength.

Maybe someday, sooner rather than later, Tuchel will go back to a 433 with four attacking players on the field. Because this conservative system Tuchel has been utilizing is clearly impotent going forward.

Or maybe that’s his plan. Shithouse your way to top 4 then revisit the system next season. Not sure grinding your way to top 4 is possible though with Liverpool in the mix.

Without the team leaking goals. But he must see the offensive ineptitude of jorginho/kovacic/Kante by this point.

I swear it looked like Kante completed more passes to rudiger than anyone else on the pitch. No one attacks down the middle, just push the ball to the flanks as quickly as possible and hope for the best. It's painfully predictable.

Chelsea would be well served to worry less about a striker and find more dynamic midfielders. That's what sets them apart from an elite club like man city right now. Plus It would provide more space for all the expensive fragile attacking players they already have.

Kante is a dream for a team that has a lethal attack already in place (with at least one really good creative attacking midfielder) because the man is not playing an incisive forward pass. Or really any pass forward. When he can focus on making the middle of the pitch hell for opposing players he's sill one of the best in the world. He did a good job of that today.

Unfortunately for the team, the shitty attack needs the midfield to progress the ball forward as soon as possible to allow them to operate in space. And that's just not happening. As you said, he's not being helped by the other two midfielders in that regard. That area must be the priority to improve in the offseason. Or, with the newfound defensive stability, try the 433 again and let Mount be the 8.

along with basically his entire close advisors over the scandal of paying millions to a social media company to criticize former and current players.

what a fucking mess.

the 3-5-2 absolutely bossed the game. protected busquets, dest had a bunch of chances, just needs a little more patience, and the attack really took advantage of dembele's pace a lot.

and i think it'd actually let pedri and riqui play together when pedri's healthy again. and maybe griez can fit in where messi played or where pedri played
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you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

is shite in the final third, but it’s another when the entire futbol world knows it.

Paul Scholes on Chelsea:

"They have really struggled in big games. Chelsea away, I watched Chelsea and I thought they were okay but they were a little bit toothless in the final third.”

He passed that information on to MU players during a pep chat. This is why MU was
giving away possession all the way up to the box at times, then clamping down
because they knew Chelsea didn’t have the strength or ability to finish.

He is basically saying the talent is shite. Blame can’t be placed on the manager.
It was the same way under Lampard. And finishing is all on the players. Period.

We have to get back to getting seasoned in-prime players from La Liga, Ligue 1,
and the Portugal league. We need finishers. And we simply don’t have them.
I don’t want anymore players from Bundesliga. I don’t care how good they look.

Is it March now though?

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/live/live-streams-extra

Chelsea is streaming their Women's home match right now on their website, I'm not being blocked in Canada and I don't think it would be in the States. They drew Atletico Madrid here too so it's the most interesting matchup of the RO16 probably. No Americans, but some international stars in Kerr, Harder, etc, and finally getting to watch Castellanos again.

lol

I wish LFC was better

lol the LFC situation is actually kind of telling since the women's team got relegated from WSL the same season the title was won. Maybe they'll decide to put more behind the women's side too soon.

They always had a team and had a decent history, I guess when no one was spending money (most of my attention to it is recent). ManU just never had a team until recently, but have decided to invest in it now and it shows. Kinda like Real Madrid just starting a team last year. I'm pretty sure it doesn't eat in to their men's teams budgets lol.

John Henry is worth $2.8 billion.

Fund a world class women's soccer team for like 2% of your wealth.

figure if nothing else it's another way for Woodward to market the club

Dembele 2 in the last 2 (scored v Sevilla in Liga play at the weekend) and a beautiful shot in this one. The MAtS penalty save was huge too.

"we're gonna lose" talk.
And then when Pique scored that header, the joy, man the joy.
I won't allow myself to believe we're gonna get thru to the next round of Champions League though. I wish we would've played this 3-5-2/5-3-2/3-1-4-2 (whatever we're calling it) in the first leg.

Pique's header was sweet but then Brathwaite?!?

Watched it the other night. Whole lot of great footage.

2/2 so far

reverse jinx

https://twitter.com/Kloppholic/status/1367586709815234560?s=20

can we just get to next season pls

>can we just get to next season pls

The pixels cannot play futbol for your squad.

If we were better finishers, it would have been a slaughter.

he got them right today. with that being said, this defensive leaning system and grinding out wins for top-4 seems like a sensible approach for the rest of this season. i assume the style of play will be less conservative next season once he has a preseason to implement more.

only ziyech was a passenger today. everyone else was really good. someone must have told kante to pass forward. it's always nice (and a surprise) to see progressive passing from the midfield.