14 Sep 2016 09:07:28
My only surprise is the level of shock being expressed on here. Watch it again and marvel at the other worldly genius of Barcelona.
There isn't a team, even those with hundreds of millions spent on them could have lived with them. They were terrifying.
Not only do they swarm all over you when they move forward like relentless, bewildering waves of wasps, stinging you relentlessly, when the opposition gets the ball it's the same deal. You can't move the ball.
We got taken to the cleaners, picked up, driven home and put in the wardrobe.
I thought at least a five nil
Doing. They lost at the weekend and that was like sticking your finger up a hungry tigers arse.
Not going to end well for us.
I sent a text to my brother saying if we could keep it tight for the first 30 seconds we would be doing well. That's how I felt. I had a feeling, based upon an overwhelming amount of evidence that we could suffer a terrible fate.
Missing the penalty was a blow, but in hindsight, maybe that would have been like covering yourself in seal blubber and hanging about with a polar bear. Again, not going to end in a way you hoped at the outset.
There was simply nothing we could do. They have too much, too often. It isn't the best way to watch a master class, when it's your team getting forensically dismembered but I was in awe of them.
To criticise our players for not getting close, shutting them down and every variation of that theme, is to exist in a world of denial. Worse than that, it is a signal you don't believe what your eyes are telling you.
This team is the best there has ever been in my opinion. The 'Trident' is truly a sight to behold. Not always enjoyable to be at the impaling end though but even as you endure that fate you still have to admire it's lower.
Every part of that team plays football against opponents much as a cat does with a mouse. There is no good outcome unless the cat gets bored. The cat last night was on it. Nothing the mouse ie us, could do, made a difference.
Every one of the teams in this group are better than us. That is just a fact. Can we get any results, apart from Barca, I think we can. Can we get enough to qualify, never, but we didn't really believe that anyway.
Third place is our battle. The Gladbacks are still in a different weight division, but we can hurt them. City I fear will have way too much also, but they won't reach the heights of pain infliction the Catalonian masters dish up.
The double header against them will be the play off for the Europa league. I can't see either of us doing damage elsewhere.
The result last night could have a silver lining in that the Germans might think we have nothing. That may be correct, but underestimating us could be our best hope.
So, we move on having been shown what this game we love can produce when you have geniuses combining to overwhelm all before them in this form. And I mean all. No club team on the planet past or present could. To expect us to escape without being panelled is to deny the reality of our relative abilities.
We have improved a lot and this defeat will show the board that the money made has to be spent to move us up another notch. We are moving in the right direction. This was a pertinent reminder that Barcelona are football, but not as we know it.
Let's hope the players realise this and don't lose heart. It would be pointless, sometimes you just have to dorf your cap, smile and say, that is the reason I am a hopeless addict to this beautiful game. What we saw last night was breathtaking, let's hope they mete out the same to the others in the group.
I have a feeling they just might.
14 Sep 2016 09:41:56
Sticking your finger up a hungry tiger's arse 😂. I have to be honest and say I was shocked. Never in a month of Sundays did I see a 7-0 coming. I thought we'd probably get beat by a couple. If RD had guided us to that result he would be getting absolute pelters and as much as BR and the players deserve all the plaudits they've received so far this season, they really let us down last night. The 5 at the back just did not work yet we stuck it out for 90 minutes.
14 Sep 2016 10:10:57
Before the game we never saw it coming. When we watched them in full flow we did.
They were irresistible.
14 Sep 2016 10:20:43
Totally agree kev! Like I said last nite in no way did I think we'd win, but that was horrific! That's 2 of the worse results in our history in the space of a few months! We fell apart in that 2nd half and that's a big worry. yes better teams than us will get beat there but that was scary! We looked absolutely terrified from the first to last.
14 Sep 2016 10:51:49
I was absolutely gutted when Alba scored in injury time to make it 2-1 a few years back - and way more devastated at that (final) result than I was last night.
I'm genuinely shocked at how many people are shocked by that result last night. They put six past Roma there at the sane stage last year - and HBS tore us apart in Israel.
14 Sep 2016 11:55:23
I think it's more disappointing at the manner of defeat to be honest. Moving forward I would rather play O'Connell or simunovic (if fit) than toure who hasn't helped our defence also play mcgregor over brown/ bitton who can rotate between each other if need be and play Gordon/ fasan as de vries is a step back by the look of him. It's still going to take at least 2 more transfer windows to transform the team but we can still win the treble with what we have.
14 Sep 2016 12:04:32
Toure hasn't helped? Come on now.
14 Sep 2016 12:44:32
Magic
Can you read minds? - exactly my thoughts - and i'm literally lol
funny funny.
14 Sep 2016 13:22:32
Even if we had spent £5mill on a centre back and £5mill on a keeper we would still have been humped. Having said that De Vires does not look the part. We shouldn't be losing 7-0 to anyone really and it could have been 10 but it's done now. They are a fantastic outfit. If Pogba is going for £90 mill, Messi is the worlds first £200 mill player. The big games for us are the Germans and Man City will put 3 past them tonight, so we may still be in Europa after Christmas. Just as well We didn't score the penalty, might have upset them then lol.
14 Sep 2016 13:37:12
No joking could you please tell me where toure has helped?
14 Sep 2016 13:57:47
ffs Jim - if not Toure in there it would have been Efe.
nuff said.
14 Sep 2016 14:18:28
We wouldn't have qualified if not for him. There's a start.
14 Sep 2016 14:51:14
7 starts 1sub 17 goals conceded no clean sheets would O'Connell have done any worse last night? And is there really any benefit to a 35 year old who is overweight and slow?
14 Sep 2016 15:03:29
Kolo isn't slow. He's probably our quickest CB.
14 Sep 2016 17:02:59
Magicpole a very good post and as you know I don't always agree with you . At the end of the game I was thinking 5 at the back didn't work, either Mc Gregor or Armstrong should have started making a mid field three and wee James may have played right wing better .
But then I thought that was all nonsense we could have played with our first eleven and subs on the night and still Barcelona would have been too good .
Last night they were awesome.
16 Sep 2016 10:53:38
It's all aboot opinions Old Bhoy. We share a deep love of our team but differ on how we think things should be.
That's just the way it is. :)
HH.