Real Madrid v Barca

[PieEater]

Well thank fukk we don't get the privilege of watching this football week in and week out. Busquets is an embarrassment, Di Maria is a diving Kant. The only thing these teams have mastered is handbags.

So you watch Man Utd and Chelsea every week?
Many divers just amongst those sides in our football including:-
Nani (as bad as Di Maria)
Rooney
Hernandez
Cole
Lampard
Drogba
Need I go on?

Do they roll around on the floor in agony holding their face in order get someone send off?

[Seal]

I was relatively neutral watching this game, but the behaviour of Pedro and Busquets was frankly so embarrassing that I really wanted Real to win.

The way Pedro went down holding his face after running into Arbeloa was about as blatant act of cheating as you can get on a football pitch.

I am not a violent person but I really would like to punch him right on the nose, just to see quite what the hell he would do if anyone ever did hit him in the face.

Messi is clearly amazing, but he didn't get the space to do what he did when Pepe was on the pitch - who I though played very well in an unfamiliar role. And it was NOT a red card. It was not a pretty challenge but his eyes were on the ball and his leg is stretched out rather than being forced downwards (which is normally what encourages a sending off whenever studs are showing). Yellow yes but not more. Didn't help that the recipient was probably the most detestable footballer of them all: Dani Alves. Great player, but what a horrible little man.

[TBM]

Why does everyone seem to think Pepe shouldn't have gone? The tackle was high and studs first into Alves' leg.

^^^^ This. People shouldn't believe Andy Townsend saying its not a red card. He's yet to learn a single rule change since he stopped playing and I 'm not convinced he had a full grasp of them then either.

Agree that it was studs first BUT he didn't actually touch Alves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-7H7lMe ... r_embedded

[papereyes]

Studs first is seen as much, much worse in latino football than it is in English. Just doing it is seen as inherently nasty.

[No Fixed Abode]

Imagine how many more European Cups Jose would have had if he had some luck.

[Hoop Blah]

Disagree on the Messi not partaking in a bit of play acting when he wants to.

Fair play he doesn't do it as much as the others, and he's cut down on it a lot, but he still has and does do it when he thinks he needs to.

[Jackson Corner]

Barca are a fantastic team. But there antics and cheating do let them down. Why? They are so talented just get on with the game.
As for Messi just 22 he will be if not already one of the all time greats, he needs a great world cup wether he will ever get one with the current Argentina side is doubtfull.

[Kitsondinho]

Think of the Argie side in 1986............pretty average apart from one rather special little bloke with amazing skills and the quickest feet ever (tm).........

[Silver Fox]

Why does everyone seem to think Pepe shouldn't have gone? The tackle was high and studs first into Alves' leg.

^^^^ This. People shouldn't believe Andy Townsend saying its not a red card. He's yet to learn a single rule change since he stopped playing and I 'm not convinced he had a full grasp of them then either.

Agree that it was studs first BUT he didn't actually touch Alves

BTW had madrid won (not likely with Mourinho content to try not to score) would all this beef be reversed? Because as far as I saw they were just as guilty of play acting and mobbing the ref.

[Seal]

Give me one example where a Madrid player went down with his hands over his face in agony after being brushed on the shoulder.

Barcelona are undoubtedly a great side, but as others have said they let themselves down with these antics. And "yeah but the other lot did it too" is not a justifiable defence. Particularly for the a club who love to position themselves as purists and protectors of the beautiful game.

[Royal Rother]

When Real beat Barca last week every time a decision went against them 5 or 6 of their players immediately surrounded the referee and badgered him. Mourinho obviously seeing this as a way of, in some small way, influencing future decisions in their favour. Barca didn't do this. Real seemed to get the rub of the green with the officials. Barca lost.

As soon as the 1st decision went against them last night, the Barca players surrounded the referee and continued to do so. It seems to work as they got the better of the ref's calls.

Mourinho's got a lot to answer for. Great, great manager but a nasty, nasty little man.

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Why does everyone seem to think Pepe shouldn't have gone? The tackle was high and studs first into Alves' leg.

^^^^ This. People shouldn't believe Andy Townsend saying its not a red card. He's yet to learn a single rule change since he stopped playing and I 'm not convinced he had a full grasp of them then either.

Agree that it was studs first BUT he didn't actually touch Alves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-7H7lMe ... r_embedded

True, but only thanks to Alves' acrobatic dodge. If he had not moved his leg it would have been absolutely raked by Pepe's studs and nobody would have had a problem with the inevitable red card.

If a player dives in studs showing do you expect a player not to jump? Should a player have to be injured to ensure a red card?

[TBM]

True, but only thanks to Alves' acrobatic dodge. If he had not moved his leg it would have been absolutely raked by Pepe's studs and nobody would have had a problem with the inevitable red card.

If a player dives in studs showing do you expect a player not to jump? Should a player have to be injured to ensure a red card?

Yeah, not arguing it wasn't a red card - just that he didn't actually make contact with Alves, so there was no need for him to roll about on the floor like he had been shot.

[Whore Jackie]

Give me one example where a Madrid player went down with his hands over his face in agony after being brushed on the shoulder.

Not to the extent of Pedro and Busquets, but Di María really did ham it up.

[Seal]

When Real beat Barca last week every time a decision went against them 5 or 6 of their players immediately surrounded the referee and badgered him. Mourinho obviously seeing this as a way of, in some small way, influencing future decisions in their favour. Barca didn't do this. Real seemed to get the rub of the green with the officials. Barca lost.

As soon as the 1st decision went against them last night, the Barca players surrounded the referee and continued to do so. It seems to work as they got the better of the ref's calls.

Mourinho's got a lot to answer for. Great, great manager but a nasty, nasty little man.

LOL. So you are saying that Barca players only surrounded the ref because Real did it last week!? They've never done it before?

Or maybe it's all Fergie's fault?



And I guess this was Mourinho's fault as well. Who was sent off after this?

[Royal Rother]

When Real beat Barca last week every time a decision went against them 5 or 6 of their players immediately surrounded the referee and badgered him. Mourinho obviously seeing this as a way of, in some small way, influencing future decisions in their favour. Barca didn't do this. Real seemed to get the rub of the green with the officials. Barca lost.

As soon as the 1st decision went against them last night, the Barca players surrounded the referee and continued to do so. It seems to work as they got the better of the ref's calls.

Mourinho's got a lot to answer for. Great, great manager but a nasty, nasty little man.

LOL. So you are saying that Barca players only surrounded the ref because Real did it last week!?

Apparently so. It was reported as being a deliberate / conscious move on Pep's part.

[Seal]

And yet Mourinho is the "nasty little man"

Since when is it acceptable to resort to such detestable tactics just because the means kids are doing it? I thought Barcelona were suppose to above all that?

[Royal With Cheese]

And yet Mourinho is the "nasty little man"

Since when is it acceptable to resort to such detestable tactics just because the means kids are doing it? I thought Barcelona were suppose to above all that?

Patently they aren't.

It's a cancer in the great sport I love. The only way to remove it is to have Morinho put down.

[Silver Fox]

And I guess this was Mourinho's fault as well. Who was sent off after this?

Has anyone said what started that? There was a wee man with his hands round the Barca sub goalie's throat at one point, I'm guessing he was one of Jose's minions?

If Mourinho wanted his teams to play football then I guess he'd get a bit more leeway when both teams are acting like chumps

[Royal Rother]

And yet Mourinho is the "nasty little man"

A nasty little man.