La Liga 11/12

Scott wrote:Barcalona 4th, Real Madrid 7th, what the?

It's called a competitive league. Not your typical Manchester United Premier League or Rangers/Celtic League.

Don't worry Jamie, maybe next time.

Aaron wrote:Don't worry Jamie, maybe next time.

I really shouldn't be laughing.

So if Betis win they top the league.

betis and pepe mel

Sky Sports commentators criticising Alves for not being at right back when he was playing as a right winger

Valencia were very good tonight. Think Pep made the wrong choice of system but that's easy for me to say now.

Villa should have won it, that pass from Messi for him was fantastic.

The Batmen are saving La Liga.

Rei Andros wrote:The Batmen are saving La Liga.

Betis to go top tomorrow.

Great game today. Banega was man of the match for me.

Fabregas

Keita was shit again last night.

I think he's been very poor this season so far, needs to improve.

If anyone was bad last night it was Abidal. Even though Cesc scored, he didn't help out much in the midfield, thats why we couldn't hold on to the ball as much.

Aaron wrote:

ahlycotc wrote:

2 penalties that were not called. Barca should have won.

Yeah and Valencia should of had a penalty also, stop whining like usual just because your precious Barcelona didn't get their own way.

This. High five!

Banega MOTM. Had a great game.

I just watched the game on delay and Barcelona had no right winger. So Valencia had two left backs with just Alves taking them on, so in the end Mathieu was getting acres of space behind Alves while Alba sat back. Mathieu got two assists if I remember rightly.

Should have played Pedro on the right and Villa on the left. Maybe Keita being the one replaced.

Mal wrote:I just watched the game on delay and Barcelona had no right winger. So Valencia had two left backs with just Alves taking them on, so in the end Mathieu was getting acres of space behind Alves while Alba sat back.

Should have played Pedro on the right and Villa on the left. Maybe Keita being the one replaced.

Alves was the right winger. 3-4-3 formation, don't know how the Sky commentators didn't pick up on it.

Wait, I'm high. Alves still didn't get enough backup on that right side. I was guessing it was a 3-4-3 but they move about so much, I lose track.

Mal wrote:Wait, I'm high. Alves still didn't get enough backup on that right side. I was guessing it was a 3-4-3 but they move about so much, I lose track.

The plan(I think anyway) was to attack through the centre so instead of having someone support Alves down the wing he was just meant to stay wider than the right winger normally would to create space for Messi, Cesc, Xavi etc. Didn't work out because the 3 at the back got overloaded, on the counter especially.

The thing with the 3-4-3 is that you need possession, high amounts of possession, and that won't work when you have Busquets and Keita playing with Fab and Xavi in the middle. You need 3 play makers and a holding mid; 2 play makers to dictate the tempo and keep possession and one of them to take more risks and rotate with Messi at false 9 when he drops into the midfield to get the ball. Only Fabregas can play that role.

Guardiola's dilemma last night was trying to use Puyol and Abidal without dropping Masch since he's turned into a regular starter over the months, im sure he still wanted to show faith in him. The other problem we had was that there was no Busquets in the back to pass the ball out, and we can all agree that Puyol isn't the best at doing that. Mixed with Abidal's worst game and Alves being sorely missed to chase those pacey wingers, it screwed us over first half.

The 3-4-3 seemed like it worked best when Alves wasn't available. His main problem is that he sometimes can't balance attacking with defending. He either over emphasizes one or the other (remember his arguement with Pique vs Atletico last season). Pedro and Thiago had the work rate to track back vs Villareal, but more importantly they barely lost the ball to the due to Thiago, Iniesta and Messi dictating (along with Keita occasionally).

The attack was too flat and empty yesterday since both Busquets and Keita were too reserved, which only left the attacking to Pedro, Messi, Xavi and Cesc.

Alves played RB vs Osasuna, but since they parked the bus and barely attacked, he was able to bomb up and give extra support. He works better when he can sneak up on the back line when the ball is at the opposite wing, but as an out and out winger he's too predictable.

.....

Agree in general with your point but Alves was definitely used as a right winger against Osasuna. Apart from Messi he had a higher average position than anyone else on the team.

But he wasn't. Thiago was the one playing right wing that game. If Dani Alves has nothing to defend against he becomes a spare man in the attack. Remember the game vs Malaga in 2009-2010 where we won 2-1? It was the same case vs Osasuna, if a team shuts up shop, the RW pinches in and draws space and Alves just times his runs for Xavi to find him. Watch the game again if you can.

XavIniesta_6 wrote:But he wasn't. Thiago was the one playing right wing that game. If Dani Alves has nothing to defend against he becomes a spare man in the attack. Remember the game vs Malaga in 2009-2010 where we won 2-1? It was the same case vs Osasuna, if a team shuts up shop, the RW pinches in and draws space and Alves just times his runs for Xavi to find him. Watch the game again if you can.

Thiago was on the right of a diamond in midfield, Alves was on the right wing.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/gamecast?id=323996&cc=5739

Go to average position, it was basically like this:


Even Alves, when played at right back, wouldn't have an average position that high.

Anyone(this means you Aaron) see the Espanyol game?

If so how was it, Walter Pandiani BEAST last minute goal

Betis-Zaragoza now.

2-0 Betis already, get the fuck down Valencia.

Betis for Champions League.

Abidal was amazing last season but I'm not sure how long he will be able to be in Barca's first XI, and they don't have any world class LB back-ups, Maxwell is horrible and Adriano is versatile but average all in all.

Bale to sign for Barca next summer