Barça – Bilbao Livebloggageish
By: Isaiah | March 7th, 2009So, I’m going to test out some new software type stuff today during the game. Thanks to Cesar at the Valencia Offside, I realized that I too could run a mini dialogue of sorts while watching the game. Cover It Live has it, um, covered. So below, starting at 1:30, I’ll be doing my thing and approving your messages for general viewing. Try to make it entertaining, folks. I’m giddy with excitement already.
If this goes well and the feedback is positive (that is, that it’s better than refreshing the comments page), I’ll make a couple of you admins so that we can do this even while I’m away. So consider this an important day in the history the Barça Offside matchday experience.
Squad lineups:
Barça: Valdés, Pinto, Jorquera, Puyol, Piqué, Márquez, Botía, Sylvinho, Xavi, Víctor Sánchez, The Yaya, Busquets, Keita, Gudjohsen, Messi, Eto’o, Bojan, Henry, Hleb, Iniesta, Pedro!
Bilbao: Iraizoz, Toquero, Koikili, Amorebieta, Garmendia, Llorente, Yeste, Gabilondo, Armando, Susaeta, Iraola, Orbaiz, Etxeberria, Gurpegi, Muñoz, Javi Martínez, Etxeita, Balenziaga
STARTING LINEUPS:
Barça: Valdes, Puyol, Marquez, Pique, Sylvinho, Busi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Eto’o, Messi. I said this! I predicted this! I am amazing! 1 for 26, baby! I’m some sort of a psychic wunderkind. Except I’m an adult.
Bilbao: Iraizoz, Iraola, Gurpegi, Amorebieta, Koikili, Orbaiz, Javi Martínez, Susaeta, Gabilondo, Yeste, Llorente.
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Comments
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Bojan. I’m just saying, if he’s not producing, at least throw him on in garbage time. Of the people that are typically on the bench, he still deserves to be one of the three that can come on and maybe, just maybe, add one for the highlight reel. If he can’t, well, that’s a shame, but leaving the sub opportunity unused is a waste from a managerial standpoint if you ask me.
What does he bring to the team? For one the ability to score from headers. Henry just seemed to learn that trick this season, and who knows how long he’s sticking around. Eto’o isn’t really a prolific header-scorer. Maybe Bojan can be that guy. But if Messi can become better at 9, Bojan’d be a good guy to take his spot on the right, because he’s quick and energetic. Switching positions with Messi’d be handy, and announcers seem incapable of distinguishing the two of them.
Henry and Eto’o fairness. It just seemed to me, just looked upon initial instinct and watching the highlights posted above for a second time, that Eto’o’s chances were more striker-created, more venomous looking in general, and Henry’s chances, though different (more finessed) in their taking (missing), they were more or less provided by the passer. It felt like a lot of strikers could’ve made the runs and received the ball like Henry did; I didn’t feel that way about several of Eto’o’s chances. Eto’o blasted one way over the bar from six yards out, Henry nailed the keeper’s gut twice. Everything else from Eto’o felt very stained with unluckiness…a great turn and touch forward shoots off the post leaving the keeper helpless…a great move leads to a rocket header that was very difficult to control (I take back what I said above) and everyone felt it just needed to be on target for a goal but SAVED…a great Messi run is passed and Eto’o peeps in right at the nick of time to unleash a VERY powerful shot with what looked like the tip of his toe but was SAVED BY LEGS…a great Puyol run finds a hesitating Eto’o and, I can’t even remember. I think, aside from the two that went right at the keeper from good passes from Iniesta and Messi respectively, Henry was on the receiving end of another Iniesta pass where he curved one just a tad wide. Eto’o had something like seven chances, Henry, three. Who looks to be the better striker given all this? I say Eto’o this time around.
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United States
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maybe we need a BFC…
Posted from
United States -
ajani i sign up for that.
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United States -
jordi makes a very good point, i had the same feelings about iniesta when he was bojan´s age, as i do now about bojan. and look what happened… though it wasnt until about 2 or 3 seasons ago that iniesta really won me over.if bojan has the same trajectory we will be very happy. keep in mind iniesta at age 18-19 played about the same amount as bojan does now. really only off the bench at the end of games. never in key situations.
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United States -
Alexinho, I’m with you on giving him the unused time at the end of won matches – don’t we wish there were some – but it’s probably also not fair to judge anybody on the basis of the last 15/20 minutes. That’s why i think a loan spell would be good for him. The problem for him is at present he is always coming on for world class players at Barcelona so there is an immediate expectation. I honestly don’t think that at 5ft 7inches ( sorry old UK measures) we would want to rely on him getting his goals through headers but I’d be interested in others’ thoughts about what you say about quickness. I haven’t really seen it in terms of pace although I do remember one “striker’s goal” where he got ahead of the defenders to a low cross ball.
With regard to Henry and Eto’o I have to admit that Henry is playing better this season than last but I still feel it will be his last with us. However, at the moment I’m looking forward to his linking up with Iniesta for the rest of the season. He still has a great footballing brain and the ability to finish although he does seem to have lost the ability to leave a defender when he is 1 on 1. Eto’o strikes me as a complete confidence player and I hope he scores soon or he’ll explode. Can’t fault either’s efforts though and that’s good going into the last part of the season. I’m getting sick of the English commentators on Sky writing off anyone’s chances in the CL this year other than English clubs. Still hoping for a Man U vs Barcelona final.
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United Kingdom -
thanks you alexhino….thanks from the EFC. etoo in general gets slightly lower ratings than henry from kxevin, and that just boggles my mind. hes pichichi after all. if i didnt like iniesta in the middle as much as i do, i would put him on the left for henry in a heartbeat.
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Kxevin:
we lacked quality in width when not in possession because we were using both 2nd choice wing-backs who’s average age was a hair over 32. i don’t expect that to be more than a once-off, though i am concerned about Sylvinho playing on the left against Lyon.
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I’m sure others have seen this, but I propose that Pinto now be referred to only as “Wahin” on this blog.
http://fcbtransfers.blogspot.com/2009/03/pinto-is-music-producer-in-his-free.html
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Guys I am not sure if its smart to start Fairness community battle with Kevin.
While you are planning the B.F.C. , E.F.C. or Any.F.C. keep in mind that Kevin Fairness Club ( K.F.C. ) is an already established world wide empire.
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Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) = Kevin Fairness Club (KFC)
?????
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United States -
No Hector, Kentucky abused the abbreviation later on.
And Stick to the letters, when You put the words u turn it to a bad joke!
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ahahahah
KFC = Kentucky Fried ChickenPosted from
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well, once we have 23 fairness commitees… we will just be able to conclude that Kxevin is just a tough grader all around…
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(except for ex-Arsenal players… they seem to get a ratings boost…)
(i just contradicted myself across two posts… good job jason…)
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btw Kxevin, you owe us a review… i cant concentrate on anything until i am properly debriefed.
:taps forearm vein:
need…. re…view….Posted from
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Random Acts of Jackassery:
http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/0,25212,12087_5005796,00.html
“but I do think if Real get knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool, which I think they will, they will probably win the league now”
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Kxevin!!! youreee lateee!!
we need that review! i wouldnt be able to sleep otherwise!Posted from
Switzerland -
Random Acts of Jackassery #2 :
“Barcelona are no longer invulnerable at home”
“I think that he has a psycholigical advantage over Victor Valdes”
“The French make good underdogs and OL could earn a 2-2 draw, shocking world football and progressing to the quarters.”
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i’m not sure, given the stereotypes currently laid upon Americans of African descent, that that the moniker “KFC” for Kxevin is entirely appropriate….
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Alexinho, surely, for example, the iniesta pass to Henry you mentioned where TH14 made an inside run is in large part striker created?
I don’t enjoy pitting Eto’o and Henry against each other. They’re both great, even though they both sucked in the last game. Anyway, Henry himself said that Eto’o is a better Center Forward, and he should be given props for swallowing his pride and making peace with playing out of preferred position in an (at least initially) nunpreferred 4-3-3. He CLEARLY enjoys himself a lot more when allowed to play in the middle (I think he’s been allowed to do that just twice this season, he had a great game in the CL group stage, and the only other game was his hat trick in La Liga). So when their goals are being compared, the center forward is expected to be a source of more goals. Also, I’d like to see what the goal count is for the trident when penalty goals aren’t counter, since TH14 doesn’t take any. He also isn’t allowed to take free kicks, and we know he can score those from his arsenal days.
My biggest gripe with Eto’o inthe last game was the bad case of tunnel-vision he got after the first few failed attempts trying to make sure he personally scores a goal himself, to the detriment of the team.
And for all those calling for Henry to be replaced with iniesta (who said himself he’s a left sided midfielder) or bojan (isn’t eto’o s position the pone he should be playing? I don’t get that), rather than try to explain the added dimensions henry brings to the team, I catch myself wishing your request comes fulfilled, so maybe you can see what starts to go wrong (or go less right) in his absence.
Kevin, about Bojan, I do think he can be a lot like a #9 even with his build. I’m thinking of an Inzaghi, only a faster player and better dribbler and more gifted in some other ways, maybe not as good a finisher
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Thanx for informing me BA, not sure what its all about but I understand its something thats better not to explain.
I usually try not to joke keeping in mind the cultural differences, and my ignorance in the detailed US/other countries/cultures terms but this one slipped out. I thought Hector was joking, but it seems like he was giving an alert as well.Apologies for any offense, any sector of readers in general and especially Kevin. Ignorance is not an excuse.
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A post on Bojan…
First of all, Bojan does not create chances for himself as a no.9 as Eto’o does. If he did, he would be getting twice as many opportunities as he does now.
When Bojan is handed chances, even ones similar to Eto’o and Henry’s misses last night, then his conversion is higher than the others.
Part of the problem is that his movement is nowhere near Eto’o’s. Eto’o creates chance after chance in most games, except ones that his first touch messes up his chances. Eto’o has probably the worst ball control of any player ever signed for us. If David Villa had those chances, how many goals would he score? One can only imagine (I do think that Villa would be stellar with us but that is currently irrelevant).I do not advocate starting Bojan in Eto’o, Henry or Messi’s place, but rather when matches are won, or in matches against weaker oppostion, he should be given 15mins here and there. In order for him to progress, whatever minutes he gets will be valuable, especially if he gets time with better support than the likes of Hleb, Keita and Guddy.
Barcelona and Puma have been working on a hybrid boot for Eto’o next season with a new material used in the front…
http://www.sporthorseproducts.com/images/half-moon-sponge.jpgPosted from
Ireland -
There, a new post for all of you.
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On Bojan; trust Pep! That’s all! We can’t solve that issue. Personally I think he needs more time, bothnon the pitch and overall. Funny how the man that so rightly advocates for Henry fairness is the vanguard of criticism towards Bojan. If Bojan had as much time on the field as Henry has had, what would his production be. Surely less than Henry, but better over all than to date. As fustrating as it is for me, I think we should just lay back, relax, and let pep do the pepping let the coach do the coaching.
Nothing againts you Kxevin, it is just that I think you lack that fundemantal fairness you have towards Henry matters, when it comes to Bojan. Considering that Bojan is almost never out there with the A-team.
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No worries on the KFC front. And I love that everyone is sticking up for Krkic. It warms my heart, but does little to convince me that he’s being played right now as his performance warrants.
As for my grading ex-Arsenal players more highly, I’ll assume that’s a joke. I am a tough grader (as you’ll see with the Bilbao review), but I also grade on overall help to the team. I think that’s huge. Eto’o is selfish. I can’t abide that, not when it hurts the team.
Yes, Henry should be converting his chances. But his defensive effort, movement and passing, as in willingness to create chances for teammates will usually, all else being equal, result in a point or two higher grade. Because the team is what it’s all about.
Same for Messi. There are times when his runs are just what the doctor ordered. There are other times when it just means he’s ignoring open teammates.
I take comfort in the fact that everyone thinks that I’m unfair, which means I’m being pretty fair. If everyone thought I was being fair, I’d be worried.
Posted from
United States
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