Bilbao last minute v Barca again!
Inaki Williams missed two good chances in last 10 but flick on head wins it.
Anyone's cup now.
Inaki Williams missed two good chances in last 10 but flick on head wins it.
Anyone's cup now.
La Liga 2019/20
- Thread starter carvajal
- Start date
Ah, now I feel a bit better.
This was a valid excuse for most of the season but he's been playing up top since the Suarez injury and he's been awful. Big big miss today as well.
He's not a striker or a left winger. He's still playing out of position, he's a second striker and has been insanely good for ages in that role
Inaki !!
1-0
1-0
Lets be honest, he's been awful wherever he's played. Blowing 100m on him when Neymar was available this summer will be a season defining mistake for Barcelona.
Time to fire up that Barca in decline thread.
They are in serious trouble going forward.
They are in serious trouble going forward.
Great cup day. Very open to win it now.
That role can't exist at Barcelona.
He was a terrible buy. Not sure what they were thinking.
Oh perhaps not.
manager must be under pressure of the sack already? don't often see the new manager effect in reverse where the team cant buy a win or even a performance.
who's the favourite now?
Barcelona and Real 
today.
Barcelona need to actually be a team, not Messi FC to improve.
Obviously Messi is one of the greatest ever, he's bigger than the club and that's becoming s bigger and bigger problem over the last few years.
Plus the woeful money wasting transfers certainly haven't helped either.
How much spent on Coutinho, Dembele, Griezmann and De Jong, 400m ish? For what?
today.Barcelona need to actually be a team, not Messi FC to improve.
Obviously Messi is one of the greatest ever, he's bigger than the club and that's becoming s bigger and bigger problem over the last few years.
Plus the woeful money wasting transfers certainly haven't helped either.
How much spent on Coutinho, Dembele, Griezmann and De Jong, 400m ish? For what?
They took the best player by a mile off the second placed team in the league... Griezmann was more than worth the 100 million, just not worth it if you don't play him where he's at his best.
He plays behind the striker, same position as Messi. It made no sense to get him if they didn't plan on getting the best out of him but Neymar was clearly impossible and there was loads of pressure on signing a star player.
Never felt they're in real decline but this season truly feels that way. It's the worst Barcelona I can remember watching in a decade and that includes the season under Martino. Jordi Alba has completely forgotten how to be a footballer since Anfield, Pique and Busquets are in complete decline, Griezmann has been an awful signing and Messi has been very poor over the last month. Really won't surprise me if even this seasons awful Napoli side knocks them out. They're just absolutely clueless away from home.
Why was it impossible? If the widely reported news was to be believed, PSG wouldn't budge from the 220m tag but Barca were offering way above 100m in cash. Neymar was a completely attainable target this summer if Barca hadn't wasted the 110m or so on a Griezmann who just does not fit into the team. It felt like a terrible transfer in the summer and it looks even worse now. Neymar is exactly what Barca needed with the added goalscoring and creativity off a left wing that doesn't exist at all for them.
Umm, the man almost single handedly dragged them to a treble last year with his performances. There are big issues at the club but Messi isn't one of them. The dependency on him is an issue but that's got to do with the recruitment that has gone in. Dembele can't stay fit, Coutinho has been awful and Griezmann just never made sense.Barcelona and Real
Barcelona need to actually be a team, not Messi FC to improve.
Obviously Messi is one of the greatest ever, he's bigger than the club and that's becoming s bigger and bigger problem over the last few years.
Plus the woeful money wasting transfers certainly haven't helped either.
How much spent on Coutinho, Dembele, Griezmann and De Jong, 400m ish? For what?
A manager with zero real accomplishments on his CV struggling at a club that is far too big for him? Never heard of that happening before.
People are trying to sound smart with their hot Messi takes. It's not working.
Neymar wasn't attainable at all according to the reports during the summer, PSG weren't selling. Especially to Barca.
They have like 14 fit senior players right now, they'd have had to make a bunch of sales to support buying Neymar. Supporting his and Messi's salaries is impossible without having a huge negative effect on the rest of the team.
Messi has been way below par for the past month but these opinions are crazy. Messi has kept Barca competitive at a time they've been really poor overall. If they're this bad with Messi, they'd be around Chelsea and Manchester United levels without him.
Watching the giants in La liga struggle is fun, but also gives a sad feeling.
Who on earth is going to stop Liverpool?
I don't know at the moment. Just feels like they will get a double or maybe even wore a treble.
I don't think City can stop them, but even if they do that would be almost as shit if they win it.
I have some hope in PSG, but also remember what they did against us. There will be own goals, VAR stuff,
howlers if they play each other and not in the direction we want. Can Neymar and Mbappe do enough to balance that out?
Real with Hazard back can be a different team, but if they can concede 4 vs Real Sociedad then they can do that vs Pool too.
Who on earth is going to stop Liverpool?
I don't know at the moment. Just feels like they will get a double or maybe even wore a treble.
I don't think City can stop them, but even if they do that would be almost as shit if they win it.
I have some hope in PSG, but also remember what they did against us. There will be own goals, VAR stuff,
howlers if they play each other and not in the direction we want. Can Neymar and Mbappe do enough to balance that out?
Real with Hazard back can be a different team, but if they can concede 4 vs Real Sociedad then they can do that vs Pool too.
You had everyone at PSG giving media interviews saying that Neymar can go to Barca or wherever he wants if their fee demands were met. If Barca had managed to find the 220m, Neymar would have been theirs. That is why the 110m blown on Griezmann really rankles. If they'd not wasted their money there, they'd be in a far better position this season with Neymar and Messi.
Dembele can't stay fit, Coutinho is awful, Griezmann never made sense, Suarez is finished, Dybala can't play with him, Higuain is a bottler, Aguero only plays well for City, Di Maria is trash...
Atleti, Real and Barca have all been pretty meh this season and I'd honestly be surprised if even one of them make the semis this year. The only team that could stop Liverpool is City (depending what version turns up) or PSG. Neymar has been in brilliant form and if he can stay fit for once, they've got as good a chance as anyone else.
Why are you deviating? Do you think Dembele has been of any use given that he spends 75% of the season injured? Coutinho isn't good enough for Barca and hasn't even good enough for Bayern. Griezmann was never going to play in the best position that suits him and that's another wasted signing. Their only quality signings in recent years have been De Jong and Artur.
A lot of those are true though.
Coutinho isn't awful, but mentally very weak. Dembele has been a disastrous singing. Griezmann too.
Suarez isn't 'finished' entirely, but he's been blowing hot and cold for a while now. Dybala can't play with Messi. Aguero has never meshed well with Messi compared to someone like Suarez.
Yeah and the demand was that they payed an amount PSG knew Barca couldn't pay. It was never happening and the reports during the summer pretending it was were coming from Barcelona media or from Neymar.
Besides, Neymar would have been injured for plenty of the season and it would mean they wouldn't have been able to sign De Jong. Not much would have changed.
If Neymar is fit for the knockouts, PSG have a great chance considering his incredible form lately.
Because they blew most of their budget on Griezmann already. Even PSG acknowledged the cash+player bids so it's clear Barca were making bids of 100m and above + players. PSG just didn't want the players Barca offered. If they'd not signed Griezmann, they'd have probably been able to pay the 220m for Ney.
I still feel he'll be back this summer and Barca will let go off two off Coutinho, Dembele, Rakitic and Griezmann.
As for the De Jong signing, that was already done and dusted way before the Neymar saga even began.
Maybe Dortmund and Haaland can get his revenge. He failed in the group, but he will bang in 3 and knock them out. If he does then I am happy enough we didn't get him
. If any club knows how to stop Klopp it might be them. I think they will get knocked out by PSG though.
I don't think Juventus has been great under Sarri, but Ronaldo is in great form so could carry that attack on his own.
Napoli knew how to stop them in the group. Although that was with Anchelotti. He has failed at Everton to beat their kids though so maybe it was the players that did the job after all.
Let Herrera do a job. Normally good for us against Liverpool.
Gueye has 0 wins against Pool though (I think at least for Everton) so maybe drop him
.The group games between them last season was pretty good. Very even games.
Just even if PSG wins 4-0 at home I would still think Liverpool would turn that around at Anfield.
They need to start poorly so they can chase it I think
.Dortmund, however good they may be in attack, are shockingly bad at the back and they''ll get exposed vs PSG. Juve, I don't think will be anywhere good enough to beat Liverpool either. Unless they end up with 2-3 penalties, they're not knocking them out.Maybe Dortmund and Haaland can get his revenge. He failed in the group, but he will bang in 3 and knock them out. If he does then I am happy enough we didn't get him
If any club knows how to stop Klopp it might be them. I think they will get knocked out by PSG though.
I don't think Juventus has been great under Sarri, but Ronaldo is in great form so could carry that attack on his own.
Napoli knew how to stop them in the group. Although that was with Anchelotti. He has failed at Everton to beat their kids though so maybe it was the players that did the job after all.
The teams Messi plays in choked all major clinche games last season. Losing 4 0 to Liverpool B, copa del ray final, copa America semi final, already choked the Spanish super Cup against Atletico and now today.
Messi is a great player but the teams he's in are suffering because he's seen above everyone else. The rot started setting in years ago and finally manifest itself in the Roma defeat and since then things going downhill.
@Daysleeper - Still convinced by this clown? Shambles appointment.
Dumb post. Barca created a lot of chances today but were woeful in finishing. I didn’t agree with his starting XI but maybe the board should have actually bought someone over the winter window
No penalties vs Liverpool. I think that is a safe bet. I think Dortmund at least got a top level that could hurt Pool. A bit like Salzburg showed at Anfield. Although you expect Pool to score a lot against them too.
We did see Napoli grind out something in the group so maybe Juventus can do that too.
Sarri for Chelsea did alright against Pool. Granted his win was in the league cup, but they should have won at the Bridge too. Late goal by Sturridge saved Pool that day.
Just I do not rate the midfield Juventus got. Feels most guys are past it or not good enough.
Yes. Didn’t agree with his starting XI but we were actually trying to create chances and I do think we were definitely the better team. We have zero squad depth. This manager is in a brutal position right now. No squad depth, no winter purchases from this horrible board, and we can’t finish to save our lives
Setien is far from the issue, this team would’ve struggled as much if Valverde was still here
Setien was a twitter nerds dream. Doesn’t have it in actual application. Sorry.