I have already said that we were awful tonight but I've had enough of reading how great Iniesta is. I watch him every week - I pay to watch him and he's not great.

We have a problem with Xavi - the last three years they are nursing him through the matches but he is a deep lying playmaker. He is only useful if you play a style where you start the ball with him and push up as a team. We haven't played that style for 2 years and less this year with Tito.

This season, anybody who has watched Spanish football will tell you that if Messi hasn't done it, nobody has. We have been terrible. I don't think you can blame Pique for having no defensive help. But Pedro and the others were awful.

Doesn't make him the best midfielder in the world or even close to hit. Xavi has carried him for years now, only because he has started to decline has Iniesta been found out.

This season, anybody who has watched Spanish football will tell you that if Messi hasn't done it, nobody has. We have been terrible. I don't think you can blame Pique for having no defensive help. But Pedro and the others were awful.
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Pique is worse and overrated since a long time now. But yes Alves defensively is found out too and also Valdez is one of the worst goalkeepers I have seen in Europe for the last few years. How this guy is at a club like Barca is beyond me. Barca should really begin to play Fabregas in the Xavi role imo.

Fabregas has found it difficult to play the short pass and move game. He is a good player but his problem this year is his personal life.

Fabregas has found it difficult to play the short pass and move game. He is a good player but his problem this year is his personal life.

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Do you mean his gf. I think too she hasnt a good influence on him.

I've noticed with Cesc his short passing isn't good too xiu. But his overall game is so much more than Iniesta and Xavi IMO. It's a disgrace how he wasn't on the pitch tonight.

Yes, they had a baby a few weeks back but after a really good start he has been disappointing. But people who are shocked about tonight shouldn't. We were lucky in the last 2 eliminatory rounds and tonight we were awful. We deseprately need a new right defender, centre back and Tito needs to start playing the ball through the team and not going straight to the advanced midfielders. Alba is our great hope, he has been excellent since Christmas.

Cesc is a father now, what's gone wrong?

iniesta only farza player worth peeshing on

pique that colombian bint has given him crabs i reckon

Barca should go for Kompany or Thiago Silva. Those are the sort of defenders they need. They went for a cheap option and bought Alex Song as a cover for Busquets and the CB's, but he's been a waste.

I've noticed with Cesc his short passing isn't good too xiu. But his overall game is so much more than Iniesta and Xavi IMO. It's a disgrace how he wasn't on the pitch tonight.

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we play short pass and move football (tiki taka) which is where Fabregas has problems. If you ask him to pass the ball 30, 40, 40 metres, he's fantastic but it's moving quickly into space and knowing where the others are that is his problem.

We have a problem with Xavi - the last three years they are nursing him through the matches but he is a deep lying playmaker. He is only useful if you play a style where you start the ball with him and push up as a team. We haven't played that style for 2 years and less this year with Tito.
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The bottom line is that Barça simply don't have the energy of 2008-11. The fact they've made it this far pays testament to how great they once were - only the fear they struck into so many sides and the individual quality of some of the players has kept them afloat this year.

On Iniesta, the fact it's taken 5 years for someone to find support for an article like this says it all. He isn't a finisher, never has been, but he makes things happen.

He isn't Xavi, but he's a fine player nonetheless. If you don't want him at Barça you'll find takers aplenty.

Finally, if I were a Barça fan, the thing that would irritate me most about tonight would be Tito's gormless looking-on from the sidelines, incapable of making any decision to try and change the game. HE didn't even have tell his men to warm up and be prepared ffs! Barça have taken their belief in the system way too far.

Barça need new thinking on the sidelines. They need to adapt to the reality of the players they have - excellent many of them, but no longer the ideal fit for a side that depended on Xavi at his best.

As a Madrid fan, I was always annoyed Pellegrini wasn't given a second chance. He'd be ideal for Barça right now imo. A man who'd understand the value of 'the Barça way', but who's smart enough to look at the players he has and how to adapt the system accordingly, while finding the right kind of players to plug the holes in the squad.

IOAG

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More or less agree with Itsonlyagame. Apart from on Iniesta. He had his lucky 3 months where he gained his messiah status but generally in the latter stages of these competitions against teams who play physical football, he disappears.

Totally agree with your point about Tito. He did nothing today. Make no mistake, we are still a good team but we need some energy. Xavi is not fit enough, Guardiola knew it - in fact I think part of the reason he left is that he knew it couldn't go on. His system was intensely based on Xavi passing - moving - receiving - passing - moving ... and he just couldn't do it any more in so many games. We have also been extremely fortunate that Messi hsn't been injured until now. But luck runs out usually!

Such a shame en el día de sant Jordi but that's life.
Visca Barcelona! Visca Catalunya!

Xiuxieujar

Can we have Iniesta then?

hi Sideshow.

Xiu is a great guy who knows his basketball.

What a joke!!!!!

We sacked the guy who beat both tonight teams for that lump of Spanish Paella

Iniesta best midfielder in the world

Finally some sense from Saint

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sainty ...