Barcelona v Atletico Madrid

All we need now is for Berb's to have a nightmare tomorrow & Marlo will be like a kid in a sweet shop on Monday morning.

could be about 6 here.

£#%&!ing hell

Keeper blaming the defenders

thing is its hardly a brilliant barca peformance, just shocking defending

Are they playing utterly gash again Madrid?

They really should put up a better effort in the league, it's not like they don't spend the cash.

I seem to say this every time I watch Barca, but Pique is really becoming an exceptional player. Wonderful passing from the back and Barca tend to give him quite a lot of freedom to step forward with the ball if it is on. This generations Laurent Blanc.

Went from Utd and within a year is The European Champions best defender and a Spain regular. I know Utd with Vidic and Ferdinand have a world class defence but I wish we could have kept him.

Fergie decided on Evans with his extra pace and for his status at the time Utd got decent money but a Pique-Evans defence had tremendous potential for the future.

Nice play from Messi for number 4

4-0 before half time

Thought that was £#%&!ing Henry then

He'll get subbed at HT too

Originally Posted by Tiberian

I seem to say this every time I watch Barca, but Pique is really becoming an exceptional player. Wonderful passing from the back and Barca tend to give him quite a lot of freedom to step forward with the ball if it is on. This generations Laurent Blanc.

Went from Utd and within a year is The European Champions best defender and a Spain regular. I know Utd with Vidic and Ferdinand have a world class defence but I wish we could have kept him.

Fergie decided on Evans with his extra pace and for his status at the time Utd got decent money but a Pique-Evans defence had tremendous potential for the future.

yeh i thing fergie is probably suprised at how well he has developed, and yeh every time i have watched him hes been barcas best defender.
they have started calling him piquenbeaur over there apparently

Originally Posted by magic_cantona

I've gone for Terry Henry for 1st scorer and an anytime scorer and had a couple of quid on Aguero as an anytime scorer.

Money back, thank £#%&!

Originally Posted by Sloane

yeh i thing fergie is probably suprised at how well he has developed, and yeh every time i have watched him hes been barcas best defender.
they have started calling him piquenbeaur over there apparently

The only question I had over him was his acceleration. His pace is fine when he gets going but over the first few yards is his issue. Bar that he has pretty much everything, power in both boxes, composure, wonderful ability on the ball, leadership, can score goals, his reading of the game was only going to improve.

I always rated him ahead of Evans when they were coming through, his loan spell at Zaragoza at 19 when he was very good for them was better than what Evans did at Sunderland in the championship. He made that mistake at Bolton but a young defender will makes errors. Especially now when Ferdinand is having these injury problems we lack real passing quality from the back Utd could do with Pique as an option.

Maybe Evans is better suited to the premiership but I highly doubt that he would even be in the Barca side if he was there.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

The only question I had over him was his acceleration. His pace is fine when he gets going but over the first few yards is his issue. Bar that he has pretty much everything, power in both boxes, composure, wonderful ability on the ball, leadership, can score goals, his reading of the game was only going to improve.

I always rated him ahead of Evans when they were coming through, his loan spell at Zaragoza at 19 when he was very good for them was better than what Evans did at Sunderland in the championship. He made that mistake at Bolton but a young defender will makes errors. Especially now when Ferdinand is having these injury problems we lack real passing quality from the back Utd could do with Pique as an option.

Maybe Evans is better suited to the premiership but I highly doubt that he would even be in the Barca side if he was there.

Have to disagree there. Evans always looked the better prospect for me when they were playing together. I also had big reservations over Pique in regards to his ability to play in the Premier League.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

The only question I had over him was his acceleration. His pace is fine when he gets going but over the first few yards is his issue. Bar that he has pretty much everything, power in both boxes, composure, wonderful ability on the ball, leadership, can score goals, his reading of the game was only going to improve.

I always rated him ahead of Evans when they were coming through, his loan spell at Zaragoza at 19 when he was very good for them was better than what Evans did at Sunderland in the championship. He made that mistake at Bolton but a young defender will makes errors. Especially now when Ferdinand is having these injury problems we lack real passing quality from the back Utd could do with Pique as an option.

Maybe Evans is better suited to the premiership but I highly doubt that he would even be in the Barca side if he was there.

seem to remember playing centre mid for zaragoza a few times as well, probably helped him improve with the ball

I thought Utd wanted him to stay but he spoke to Fergie and said he wanted to return to Spain?

Originally Posted by Whalefish

I thought Utd wanted him to stay but he spoke to Fergie and said he wanted to return to Spain?

always thought that was the case

Originally Posted by Firswood Red

always thought that was the case

Was home sick, when he left he posted a message on the United website if I rememeber thanking the club, fans and players. Happy for him because he is a truely fantastic footballer, everytime I see him he reminds me of Rio, the way he moves, passes and comes out from the back.

Aguerro is wasted at Athleti, can see him leaving in the summer.

Originally Posted by Coracao

Have to disagree there. Evans always looked the better prospect for me when they were playing together. I also had big reservations over Pique in regards to his ability to play in the Premier League.

I can understand those reservations, in the reserves you would see him lose concentration and make silly mistakes, and especially early on he seemed to be reluctant to go in for real physical challenges. However the talent he has was obvious and with experience and maturity I thought he would be a great player for us. That spell at Zaragoza was a great lesson for him, he grew up, became something of a leader at a young age. They were a good side that year, pushing for CL places at one point and he was a big part of that.

He had a large influence in the CL final in Rome IMO, patched up defence and he held them together, dominated. His use of the ball was exceptional as well, we tried to press him, win the ball high up the pitch but he constantly picked out the ball to his midfielders and allowed Barca to get out. A lot of that id down to the movement of the midfielders, but the comparison to Rio and Vidic in that match who kept giving the ball away, going long under pressure was not flattering to our 2.

He is probably the best young defender in European football now.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

He had a large influence in the CL final in Rome IMO, patched up defence and he held them together, dominated. His use of the ball was exceptional as well, we tried to press him, win the ball high up the pitch but he constantly picked out the ball to his midfielders and allowed Barca to get out. A lot of that id down to the movement of the midfielders, but the comparison to Rio and Vidic in that match who kept giving the ball away, going long under pressure was not flattering to our 2.

.

Not having that, Ronaldo skinned him like 3 times in the first 10 minutes, he was there for the taking. We just couldnt get at him, due to us not getting past barca's midfield.

Originally Posted by History

Not having that, Ronaldo skinned him like 3 times in the first 10 minutes, he was there for the taking. We just couldnt get at him, due to us not getting past barca's midfield.

Wasn't about us getting past anyone. They wouldn't let us play with the football.