He certainly looks like a great prospect.
La Liga - 2014/15
- Thread starter jojojo
- Start date
1-0 Messi
Masherano doing a ramos.
Yeah.. already looks different to last season
Mascherano Red card
Messi is too good
How many more times are Barcelona going to persist with Mascherano in defence until they realise he isn't a fecking defender.
He had a very good World Cup playing back in his holding role, first game of the season back in defence. I can't stand the smugness of that club.
He had a very good World Cup playing back in his holding role, first game of the season back in defence. I can't stand the smugness of that club.
I don't get why Mascherano is settling for that role even for so long.
He was one of the best specialist holding mids around as a destroyer. Now he is a squad player and a average makeshift CB.
He has had good games at centre back before. The high line Barcelona utilise would make it difficult for any defender as it there is so much space and the defenders are left exposed if the forwards fail to apply pressure on the opposition. They defend as a team (which has been pretty much their way since pep took over) and if the forwards do not do their defensive work then the defenders struggle. There was no pressure put on elche for the goal and it was a simple long ball. Not saying that the defenders couldn't have done better, its just that they are not given as much protection as defenders at a lot of other clubs and in general it can be very difficult for them, especially as barca are going for a more direct approach in recent years.
More pussies on the pitch than usual.
Rafinha off Batra on.
Beautiful goal.
Nice goal.
Excellent ball by Rakitic.
Munir looks a good talent so far.
Munir looks a good talent so far.
Lovely finish by Munir.
it wasnt really, came off the defenders head.
Hmm yeah, you're right. Still good though with the vision.
2-0 MUNIR
Wrong pass from Iniesta there, Bartra to the right or Messi to the left... picks out Bartra
They will probably claim "the dark side aka the capital club" sent the cat!
Elche are a bit shit.
They have just bunkered bunkered except the Mascherano red card attack.
They have just bunkered bunkered except the Mascherano red card attack.
Another great goal by messi. Wow!!! I would have to say it is one of his best performances in a while. He looks so much sharper than last season and at the world cup.
Messi back to his best, i've not seen him this lively since his first injury back in Feb 2013.
Barcelona scoring so early in the second half pretty much killed their chances and prevented them from getting any momentum.
3-0 MESSI 
He's incredible to watch in full form.
He also looks happy....which he most certainly didn't at the World Cup or last season generally. Probably just happy to make Suarez and Neymar seem useless.
Still maintain he wasn't physically well at the World Cup.
He looks much sharper than last season.
Luis Enrique seems to have already worked the magic touch on him. Not pinned him down to one position, given him the rocket up his arse he's been needing for about 12 months. Seems to have overcome that injury he suffered at the back end of 2012/13 too. Great to see.
If it was upto me, I would bench both Busquets and Pique till they get their game up, specially Pique. Busquets just seems to be bad for over last 6 months or so. Knowing Enrique, he won't tolerate any non-sense or bad attitude. They better get their game up. Macherano would do perfectly in CDM.
I'm actually happy that Messi is looking great again. It will help motivate Ronaldo to do better and get back to his best.
Even against ten men, elche have offered nothing in attack.
I don't get how Messi leaves the goalkeepers dead with his finishing? I've seen him do it quite a lot - they just don't most and the ball rolls in to the corner of the net. Is it something to do with the timing of the strike?
Overall a good performance (arguably very good if you take into account they had ten men) by barca, without them having to overexert themselves. There were some great individual moments by messi and iniesta looked good too and looks to be in better form than last year. Rakitic was ok but maybe he will take time to settle in the team as midfielders tend to do.
It's to with the unpredictable nature of when he shoots. For eg. Tonight's goal, he runs across box at the edge and he could shoot at any moment, but he stutters his run a few times along the way, which makes it hard for the defender to time the tackle and for the keep to anticipate a movement for himself to make towards a side of the goal. When Messi eventually shoots, he doesn't focus so much on power, but places it in the corner. The technique crossed with the timing renders the keeper stuck not knowing when he's going to pull the trigger.
Anybody watch Eibar 1-0 Real Sociedad? How did Real Sociedad screw up so bad?
Villareal also beat Levante 0-2 away. Villareal looking good, just like last season.
Villareal also beat Levante 0-2 away. Villareal looking good, just like last season.
Simeone's 8 game ban confirmed now, ridiculously harsh in my view.
What a joke. He should have just eye gouged the official for a two match ban.